Skip to main content

Full text of "Leytonstone and its history; with especial reference to the establishment and development of church services therein, and a short account of former residents and residences, etc"

See other formats


This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project 
to make the world's books discoverable online. 

It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject 
to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books 
are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that's often difficult to discover. 

Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book's long journey from the 
publisher to a library and finally to you. 

Usage guidelines 

Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the 
public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to 
prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying. 

We also ask that you: 

+ Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for 
personal, non-commercial purposes. 

+ Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google's system: If you are conducting research on machine 
translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the 
use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help. 

+ Maintain attribution The Google "watermark" you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find 
additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it. 

+ Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just 
because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other 
countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can't offer guidance on whether any specific use of 
any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book's appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner 
anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe. 

About Google Book Search 

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers 
discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web 



at |http : //books . google . com/ 



Kl V^ 



.1 il 




r 11 




"Ib^^- 



'2-0 



^ 



/' 



a 



1 



^'^r^'^'^'^'^'^'^'^'^'^r^r^r^t'^r^^ 



Harvard College 
Library 




or 'BO 



FROM THE BEQUEST OF 

JOHN HARVEY TREAT 

OF LAWRENCE, MASS. 
CLASS OF 1862 



lff««^««^«a^«A>«a^«A>«A*«A*«A*«0»<A»«A*«A*««^«0»<^^ly 



Leytonstone and its History 




Battbn ft Datibs, 
dapham, S.W. 




Rev. W. J. Bettison. m.a. 

Vicar of St. Joha Baptist, 
Leytottstone, from 1874 to 
tlie present time. - - - 



The Author. 

Seven years Vicar's Warden of 
St, Jolia Baptist, Leytoastoae. 




£epton$totic ana Its Rlstorp 



WitftdMclaircrmiice. 
to tDc (tlaDlitDnciit ami 
deoeiopnciit or CbircD * 
Serokei flwrela. . . . 
JIM a tDort aecomt or 
rormcr lUtidents ami . 
lUsideiictt, etc . * * . 



By • • • • 

W. Q. HAMMOCK 



XOtldOll: 

Battkn 8c Davirs 

The Patemcnt, Clapham 1904* iAU rigtu ivMirMf.] 



"t^ ^; -^ o/. »/y 



HARVARD COLLEGE LIBRARY - 
TREAT FUND ' 



Dedicated 

be Kind petmiMion to tbe 

RidDt Reo. CDe cord BisDot) or $t iiibans. 



Spufau* 



A N old box in the Vestry of St. John Baptist, Leytonstone, sup- 
^^ posed to contain nothing but a large quantity of practically 
obsolete papers, often caused me, before and during my seven years 
of office as Churchwarden, to wonder whether anything of interest 
could be found among its contents. I at last got it opened, and a 
mass of old letters and documents therein, disclosed in great detail 
the early efforts made to establish Church of England services in the 
district, and the progress of the undertaking from its beginning 
(nearly i6o years ago) to the time of building the present Church of 
St. John's. There were also two books of quaint and interesting 
extracts from Parish Registers, dating back as far as 1584. 

The papers were, however, by far too diffuse and voluminous 
to be of much practical general use in their existing state, and I 
therefore at once resolved to summarise their contents, for the in- 
formation of my successors in office. As I proceeded, the idea 
forced itself upon me that such a summary would be of great interest, 
not only to the Church officers, but to Leytonstonians in general — 
past, present and future — and that they should have an opportunity 
of learning something about such records. I therefore resolved to 
add to the summary such particulars as would bring the history down 
to present date, and to publish the whole with a short introductory 
chapter of early history of the district, and such particulars as I was 
able to gather by a fair amount of enquiry, without entering upon 
very deep and troublesome research, as to old important residents and 
residences. • 

With regard to the last-named item, I have unexpectedly ex- 
perienced much difficulty in obtaining nearly so much reliable and 
full information as I hoped to have found easily accessible (and Mr. 
Moon, at the Leyton Public Library, finds similar difficulty as to 
Leyton) ; one or two trifling errors may, therefore, have crept in, 
especially as some of the information is gathered from old inhabi- 
tants ; and memories, through age, are sometimes apt to be a little 
treacherous (as I, unfortunately, personally find). I have, however, 
done my best to secure correctness, and I think there can be very 
little which is not trustworthy. 

With regard to the short introductory history, it is simply de- 
signed to give in small compass a little desirable information, with no 
pretence to any great historical value; it is composed of extracts 



vi. PREFACE. 

from a great variety of sources, both ancient and modern, so numer- 
ous that I cannot particularise them ; but I have gratefully to express 
my acknowledgments of the value of the information obtained from 
the numerous excellent Histories^ &c., relating to Leyton and its 
neighbourhood, including the works of Morant, Fisher, Defoe, Og- 
born, Cox, Suckling, Moore, Haweis, Kennedy, Wilkinson, Rush, 
Lyson, and Hunter, Dictionary of National Biography y Book of Dig- 
nitiesy White's Essex Directory^ 1848^ East Wind Newspaper, Essex 
in the Days of Old, &c. 

I may also be permitted to offer to our Vicar, Rev. W. J. 
Bettison, and the clergy of all the Leytonstone Churches, Rev. Geo. 
Bell Doughty (Rector of St. Peter's, on Comhill), D. J. Morgan, 
Esq., M.P., the officials of the Leyton District Council, Mr. Z. Moon 
(custodian of the Leyton Public Library), Mrs. Emerson, Messrs. 
Whittingham, Rollings, De Gruchy, Miller, Cousens, Wire, &c., and 
especially in the matter of the illustrations, Messrs. Webber, Tester, 
Walker, Clayton, Geo. Wilson, Markby, &c., my most sincere ac- 
knowledgments and thanks for their very kind loans of pictures, and 
valuable help. 

As will be seen, my main object throughout has been to form 
a permanent and concise record of the progress of the Church of 
England's work in Leytonstone, based upon the old documents found 
in the Vestry, with such short additions as would serve to illustrate 
the general history of the district, adding only my own observations 
as far as they are necessary to piece the different items together and 
form a continous whole. My work is very imperfect, and would no 
doubt have been much better in the hands of a younger man ; but I 
have tried, so far as the infirmities of age allow (I having lived in four 
reigns and being in my 80th year) to carry it out faithfully ; and I 
have hopes that it will in a way serve its purpose, and be, in some 
small degree, of use to the community, by embodying a concise 
History of Leytonstone as a separate entity, which, to a consider- 
able extent, seemed ignored by other writers. 

I therefore now submit my little work to the public, trusting 
that it will have a kindly reception, and leniency as to its short- 
comings. 

W. G. HAMMOCK. 

Royal Lodge, Leytonstone, 
Aprils 1904. 



Contents. 



Chaptbr L 
Introductory and explanatory of the leading purpose of the book — 
Early History before and after the Norman Conquest — Short 
account of the three Leyton Manors, and of their changes of 
ownership up to present date, with a few extracts and anecdotes 
illustratiye of early times ... ... ... page i 

Chapter II. 
Old Residences and Residents — Noteworthy local Names — and 
various general gleaniogs of matters of interest relating to the 
District ... ... ... ... ... page lo 

Chapter III. 
Summary of information as to the district in general before the 
establishment of Church organisation, as contained in the old 
documents in St. John's Vestry — Extracts from Parish Registers 
— Leytonstone as a little village gradually developing — Striking 
and interesting comparisons, quaint and curious quotations 
illustrative of its progress ... ... ... page 36 

Chapter IV. 
Establishment of Church Services in Leytonstone — Bxtraets from 
original documents and letters giving detailed information as 
to the persistent steps taken to establish Service&^The great 
opposition and difficulties encountered — The ultimate success 
of the undertaking, and the building of the little Chapel and its 
subsequent enlargement ... . ., ... page 5 1 

Chapter V. 
Commencement and completion of the present Church of St. John 
Baptist — Subscriptions, Tenders for Building, modifications. 
Building and Consecration of the Church — Assignment of an 
Ecclesiastical District Parish — and various minor iteip$ of in- 
formation ... ... ... ... ... page 62 



VIU. 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Chapter VI. 
Alterations and Enlargement of St. John's— Details to present date- 
Particulars of Gifts, Fittings, Bells, Clock, Organ, &c.— Lists of 
officiating Clergy and Churchwardens — Alterations of Frontages 
— Coronation Memorial Tree planting — New Vestry— Elliott 
Room — Charities and Bequests ... ... page 70 

Chapter VII. 
Leytonstone daughter Churches — Nonconformist Places of Worship 
Mission Halls, &c., and some of the various Societies— Board 
Schools, &c. ... ... ... ... pagt^o 



SL\%\ oT liiustratioiis. 

Rev. W. J. Bettison, Vicar of St. John Baptist, Leyton- \ 
stone ... ... ... ... ... I 

The Author, seven years Churchwarden of St. John's ) 

Facsimile of ancient Parchment Deed of Conveyance, 

dated 1426 
Monument of Sir Michael and Lady Hickes in Leyton 

Church ... 
Old Royal Lodge before its destruction by Fire 
Old Inns—" Green Man " and " Red Lion " 
Strype's Memorial Tablet in Leyton Church 
Portrait of John Strype, the famous Historian (Vicar 

of Leyton) 
The first Church in Leytonstone, afterwards National \ 

Schools, now Assembly Rooms ... ... 1 

St. John's, when first built, reproduced from an old ( 

engraving ... ... ... .../ 

St. John Baptist, Leytonstone — Exterior, after addition 

of new Chancel 
Do. do. Interior ... 

Holy Trinity, St. Andrew's, St. Margaret's, and St. 

Augustine's Churches 



Pagb. 



Frontispiece, 



9 
16 

33 
35 

48 



64 
80 

88 




•J o 



® S 

O «3 

<D it; 

ci o 

a o 
§2 

•55 ® 

ns o 

p ft 









tlil i lit- " ' 

1 I ^3 111 h< 
i |.L*'a5 «- 1-4 




,5 



^2 -^ 

I- 



2 J3 S 









2 RJ d 



^ =3 






PQ 



o 



3 > 

« o 



-G 2D 

■5 -H 

"rt .Sri 

,C 



*-• <u ^ 

g o '^ 

a crt •t; 
B -t ^ 

rt a rt 

en ^ ^ 

'^ '^ ?,< 
S "5 ?5 

•3 -S '^ 
'g PQ ^ 



> (U 

g - 



(U 



fee c >^1 






^ ^ 'r: :: . 

*^ § 2i c 

o -^ £ « ' 

^ pfi 13 



cxpq 



(LI 

1j 'o 



T3 "-^ 



PC ^ 






«*->,= ? 

° c £ - 

F ^ '^^ S 



CT3 

> c << c 

■ ^ a; £ 

; oj rt D 

' bX ^ > 

i^ o '■^ 

■ ^ ■': ^^t 

.H 'a> l2 

3^ ^ >5 

— i '^ 



C/5 << 



O 



■i^ f. 



-^ 






C > ^ H 



CC ^ rt ^ <u 



Id 



c rt aj 

^ r -' 

^ CTJ PQ 

^ ^^ 



-a S 



2^ " .2 'oi -^ 



g 2 P^ 

C 1^ c .= - 

— 3^ Jr 



cat 



re u c « •■« ? 

-C w _^ ^ O O fe 

^ ^ t ^ 5 5 £ 



PQ £ ^ 

O C c« 

^ &^ 

-c -c <. 

■^ - -n 

.^ ^ ^ 

-■^ >., 

(U re i* I 



w 




CHAPTER I. 

Introductory, and Early History. 

Introductory and explanatory of the leading purpose of the book — 
Early History before and after the Norman Conquest — Short 
account of the three Leyton Manors, and of their changes of 
ownership up to present date, with a few extracts and anecdotes 
illustrative of early times. 

)EYTONSTONE— though it always has 
been, even, in the earliest times, a most im- 
portant district of Leyton — has singularly 
little place in the various valuable histories 
of Leyton, and undoubtedly claims much fuller his- 
torical notice than has yet been accorded it. Kings, 
Queens, and very many historical personages had 
part in its earlier history ; and, though in its later 
times it cannot lay claim to much of that kind of 
distinction, it still has a new importance of its own, 
as forming a by no means inconsiderable section of 
the modern marvellously developed new and greater 
London. Royalty even now has not entirely deserted 
it, as witness the visits of the Duke of Connaught 
and other members of the Royal Family, and even 
King Edward VIL has recently traversed it in his 
motor car. How astonished would have been his 
Royal predecessors, with their primitive modes of tra- 



2 HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE. 

veiling, their rude implements of chase, their hawks 
and hounds, if even in their dreams such 20th cen- 
tury developments could have passed before them, or 
that the pretty little village should so rapidly have 
become a large populous town. 

It is felt that an effort, however imperfect, should 
be made to supply in some degree the before-named 
historical deficiencies, and thereby supplement per- 
vious histories ; and, fortunately, the means of doing 
so, especially as regards the work of establishing 
Church organisation in Leytonstone were recently 
found. 

A search among a large number of old docu- 
ments, extracts from registers, letters, &c., in the 
hands of the vicar and churchwardens of St. John 
Baptist, Leytonstone, has brought to light much 
varied and very interesting information as to the 
earlier general history of Leyton and Leytonstone, 
especially illustrative of the life and doings of the 
inhabitants during the 17th and i8th centuries and 
earlier. The old papers ako give very full informa- 
tion as to the persistent steps taken, commencing in 
the early part of the i8th century, for the holding 
Church of England services in Leytonstone, and of 
the many difficulties which were encountered in car- 
rying out the project 

It was at once apparent that the information 
gained from the latter papers would be of special 
interest to the worshippers at St. John's, and that a 
summary statement of the events to which they, as 
well as the earlier papers, relate, is unquestionably 
desirable as a local record, and at the same time 
would doubtless be extremely interesting to old and 
new inhabitants of the district as well as to many 
others. It is, therefore, purposed to compile in the 



INTRODUCTORY. 3 

following pages such a summary, without entering 
minutely into the details of the voluminous papers, 
prefacing it with a short general historical introduction 
gleaned from very various sources, public libraries, &c. 
with only the few additions here and there necessary 
to form a connected local narrative ; always having, 
at the same time, special reference to the Church, 
adding such information as can be obtained as to 
former important residents and their residences, and, 
finally, bringing the short history to a conclusion by 
a few particulars up to present date. 

Early History. 

MR. Wilkinson, in his History of Leyton^ is no 
doubt correct in considering that Leytonstone 
takes its name from a Roman stone being placed as a 
military mark, supposed to be that of the loth legion, 
and was probably situated on the spot now so well 
known by its distinctive land mark, the *' High 
Stone." Possibly it is the very same stone, as it has 
the appearance of extreme age. In the earlier docu- 
ments, hereinafter named, Leytonstone almost always 
consists of two words — Leyton Stone. There was a 
Roman encampment near the site of old Ruckholt 
House, and Pennant says, *' they constructed a vici- 
nal way over the Lea to Duroleiton, the more modern 
Leiton." 

Mr. Gansel (who is frequently hereinafter referred 
to) in digging up two acres of land for a garden near 
the Manor House, found under the whole, very large 
and strong foundations, in one place all stone, with 
considerable arches and an arched doorway ten feet 
high by six feet wide, ornamented with mouldings, 
and having steps down to it, but filled up with gravel. 



4 HIS^TOR Y OF LE YTONSTONE, 

In many of the foundations were large quantities of 
Roman bricks and tiles, and some broken pieces of 
Egyptian granite. The remains probably belonged 
to some Roman villas. 

In digging a pond at Ley ton the workmen, after 
sinking ten feet through a bed of clay, found a great 
quantity of oak timber morticed together like a floor, 
grown very hard and black, but they did not ascer- 
tain how far it extended. Several Roman brass and 
silver coins, both consular and imperial, from the 
time of Julius Caesar, were scattered about, as well 
as some silver coins with Saxon characters. The 
ground where these discoveries were made adjoins 
Leyton churchyard, where some time before, a large 
urn of coarse red earth was found. Roman pave- 
ment was also discovered in 1735, 20 feet long and 
16 feet wide ; a stone coffin containing several pieces 
of armour was likewise found at Temple Mills. 

The Saxons probably gave the name of Latun 
or Leatun to this neighbourhood, and much of the 
early history of England, under Britons, Romans, 
Danes, Saxons, &c., is closely connected with it. In 
the Gentleman's Magazine^ it is stated that *' King 
Alfred's great work in these parts (a.d. 8g6) was the 
raising of the banks of the three streams which the 
Great Eastern Railway now crosses between Mile 
End and Stratford, and that the embankments, now 
in good order after nearly ten centuries, were King 
Alfred's work, raised by him for the sake of carrying 
off the waters from the valley of the Lea. He 
finished the embankment of the River Thames at 
Blackwall, and thereby laid the Danish fleet, which 
had sailed up to Ware, in Hertfordshire, high and 
dry." 

King Harold at one time dwelt in Leyton, also 



EARLY HISTORY. ^ 

his brother, Tostig. There were two priests stationed 
at Leyton in the reign of Edward the Confessor ; it 
is not known when a Church was first erected there, 
but in 1 182, the Church was confirmed to the Abbot 
and Convent of Stratford, and was dedicated to the 
Blessed Virgin Mary. It must, however, have been 
a much eariier structure than the present one, no 
part of which is really of ancient date, except perhaps 
the tower, although there are records of various 
works of enlargement and repairs in 1610 — 1658/9 — 
1693, &c., in fadl it was almost rebuilt in 1821. A 
Vicar of Leyton is named for the first time in 1327. 
James I. resided in Leytonstone in June, 1604. Sir 
Michael Hicks, Secretary to Burleigh, Queen Eliza- 
beth's famous minister, lived in the Manor House of 
Ruckholt (its site was near Leyton Station), and was 
intimately acquainted with Sir Walter Raleigh, Cecil, 
Bacon, Camden, &c. The monument of Sir Michael 
and Lady Hicks is in Leyton Church, and has re- 
cently been repaired and restored by Sir Michael 
Hicks Beach, a descendant of the family, and the 
present holder of the Baronetcy. 

Sir Willam Hicks, Bart., underwent much 
trouble and danger on account of his loyalty to 
Charles L ; and his son. Sir William Hicks, men- 
tioned in Pepys' Diary also lived there, and was 
knighted by Charles H., when that Monarch came to 
hunt in the forest, of which Sir William was Ranger. 
The Hicks family in many ways greatly helped the 
famous Vicar of Leyton, Strype, the historian (after- 
wards referred to) ; their name frequently occurs in 
the Parish Registers in connection with bequests and 
charities. Evelyn, in his diary, notes that on 23rd 
May, 1659, he visited Sir William Hicks at Rook- 
wood or Ruckholt s. 



5 HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE, 

Pepys paid a visit to Ruckholt, just at the time 
the Great Plague was at its height, and his account 
of it is so amusing that it is well worth quoting : — 
** 13th September, 1665. My Lord Brouncker, Sir J. 
Minnes and I took boat, and in my lord's coach to 
Sir W. Hickes's, whither by-and-by my Lady Batten 
and Sir William comes. It is a good seat, with a fair 
grove of trees by it, and the remains of a good gar- 
den; but so let to run to ruine, both house and 
everything in and about it, so ill-furnished and mis- 
erably looked after, I never did see in all my life. 
Not so much as a latch to his dining room door, 
which saved him nothing, for the wind blowing into 
the room for want thereof, flung down a great bow 
pott that stood upon a side table, and that fell upon 
some Venice glasses, and did him a crown's worth of 
hurt. He did give us the meanest dinner of beef, 
shoulder and umbles of venison, which he takes away 
from the keeper of the forest, and a few pigeons, and 
all in the meanest manner that ever I did see to the 
basest degree. I was only pleased at a very fine 
pidlure of the Queene-Mother, when she was young, 
by Vandike ; a very good pidlure and a lovely face." 

Ruckholt House, after having been used in later 
times for meetings, entertainments, &c., was pulled 
down in 1757 ; but it is said that much of the old 
foundations, large arched and pillared cellars, still 
remain, covered with some depth of earth, and even 
ploughed over. 

In the fifth edition, dated 1753, of A Tour through 
the whole Island of Great Britaitiy by a Gentleman 
(said to be Daniel Defoe), he states that ** there 
have been discerned within these few years, in the 
bottom of Hackney Marsh, between Old Ford and 
the Wyck, the remains of a great stone causeway, 



THE MANORS. ^ 

which is supposed to have been the highway, or great 
road from London to Essex, instead of that which 
now leads over the bridge between Bow and Stratford. 
That the great road by this way, and that the great 
causeway continued just over the river where now the 
Temple Mills stand, and passed by Sir Henry 
Hickes' house, at Ruckholt (now turned into a place 
of entertainment agreeable to the depraved taste of 
this luxurious age) is not all doubted ; and that it 
was one of those famous highways made by the 
Romans, there is undeniable proof, by the several 
marks of Roman work, and by Roman coins, and 
other antiquities found there some of which were col- 
lected by the late Rev. Mr. Strype, Vicar of Low 
La3^on. From hence the Great Road passed up to 
Laytonstone, a place known now by the sign of the 
* Green Man, ' formerly a lodge upon the edge of 
the forest, and crossing by Wansted House, the 
noble seat of Earl Tilney, went over the same river 
which we now cross at Ilford." He also speaks of 
**the villages being filled with fine seats, most of 
them built by the citizens of London, but the lustre 
of them seems to be entirely eclipsed by Wanstead 
House." 

The Manors. 

AT the Domesday Survey, the Abbot of West- 
minster, Robert, son of Corbutio or Corbucion, 
Peter de Valoines, Hugh de Montfort and Robert 
Gernon, held the parish, which is now in three 
manors. The flDanor Of XC^^tOll, or Leyton 
Grange (which was once held by Earl Harold, in King 
Edward's reign) being the estate which belonged to 
Robert de Corbutio, was given by Walter de Cor- 
pechun to the Abbot and Convent of Stratford Lang- 



HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE. 



thorne, and confirmed by Ralph de Ardene, about 
the year 1200. It is called in this grant the Church 
and Wood of Leyton ; the deed is signed by Hubert, 
Archbishop of Canterbury, who sat in that See from 
1193 to 1206 (Lysons). In 1545, it was granted by 
Henry VIII. to Lord Wriothesly, Lord Chancellor 
of England, who sold it to Sir Ralph Warren, Lord 
Mayor of London, who died possessed of it. It 
descended to Richard, his son, who died 25th March, 
1599, and he was succeeded by his sister Joan's son 
and heir, Oliver Cromwell, of Hinchinbrook, the 
uncle of the Protector, Oliver Cromwell — who is 
otherwise mentioned in connection with Leyton. It 
afterwards passed to the Ryder and Gansel families, 
and was sold by the latter about 1783, with part of 
the estate to Mr. Pardoe, one of the Directors of the 
Honorable East India Company, and descended to 
his heirs. Sir William Ryder was Lord Mayor of 
London in 160 1. 

The second in importance the flDanOt Ol 
IRUCllbOlt — Saxon '* Hrocholt,'* Rookwood, of which 
the " Hamlet of Leytonstone " forms a part and not 
of Leyton, is of principal interest in this connection, 
and was in the thirteenth century the property of 
William de Bumpsted Steple; it then passed through 
several hands until Sir Richard Charlton who in- 
herited it, was, in consequence of his attachment to 
Richard III. attainted of high treason, and the 
Manor fell into the hands of the Crown. In 1487, 
Henry VII. granted it to Sir John Rysley, on whose 
death it escheated to the Crown, and was granted in 
I5i3> by Henry VIII., to William, Lord Compton, 
ancestor of the Earls of Northampton, he, in 1592, 
sold it to Henry Parvish, whose widow married Sir 
Michael Hickes ; it remained in the possession of the 



THE MANORS. g 

Hickes family till 1720. It eventually was purchased 
in 1731, by Ann, relict of Frederick Tylney, Esq., 
and was afterwards vested with the rest of the Tylney 
estates in the daughter and sole heiress of Sir James 
Tylney Long, Bart., who died in 1794, through whom 
it came into the possession of the Mornington and 
Cowley families. 

The flDanor of flDarIl0t ^^^ third and much 
the smallest Manor, belonged to the Priory of St. 
Helen's, and after the dissolution of that Monastery 
in 1545, it was granted by Henry VHI. to Paul 
Withipol ; it was, after many changes of ownership, 
incorporated with Leyton by Mr. Gansell, who had 
bought it, and finally was purchased by Mr. Pardoe. 




MONUMENT OF SIR MICHAEL AND LADY HICKES IN LEYTON CHURCH. 




CHAPTER II. 

Old Residences and Residents. 

Walwood — Forest House — Leytonstone House — Sycamore House — 
Leyspring House — " Ivy Bank *' — " Bushwood" — Tylney House 
— Phillibrook House — Bourne House — Royal Lodge — Park 
House—" The Cedars "—"The Pastures "—Chestnut House- 
Cromwell House — Gainsborough House, &c. — and noteworthy 
Residents' names. 

JEFOE, in his Tour (1753), previously re- 
ferred to, speaks of the increase in Ley ton, 
Leytonstone, Walthamstow, Woodford, 
Wanstead, West Ham, &c.; of the *' hand- 
some large houses, being chiefly the habitations of the 
richest citizens, such as are able to keep a country as 
well as a town house, or such as have left off trade 
altogether. This is so apparent that they tell me 
there are no less than 200 coaches kept by the in- 
habitants within the few villages named above." But 
of the history of these as well as the many still older 
time residences which Leytonstone once contained, 
comparatively little information can be obtained, 
except as to Walwood and two or three others. 

IKIlalWOO&« — Fisher states that in early times 
leave was sometimes given to the owner of Forest 
land to make into a park, and there was a park in 
Le)rton, anciently called Corbicum (qy. after Cor- 



WALWOOD HOUSE. u 

buto) or Corpechum, in 1222 Carpetune, afterwards, 
in the 15th century, Wally Wode, and finally Wal- 
wood. 

The first license as to enclosure of Corpechum, 
was granted by Henry III., and merely empowered 
the owners of Corpechum (the Abbot and Convent 
of Stratford) to so enclose it that the King's wild 
beasts might still pass in and out ; but, by another 
charter, in 1253, they were not only allowed to make 
it into an enclosed park and to assart it and till it, 
but it was declared to be disafforested. This charter 
was enrolled in 1277, and confirmations of it made 
in 1284 and 1319 were enrolled in 1292 and 1324, 
and claims founded on it were allowed in 1489 and 
subsequently. 

After several changes of ownership it became 
vested in the crown, and during the Commonwealth, 
an action was brought in Trinity term, 1655, against 
Skinner Ryder, Lord of the Manor, to quiet the Pro- 
tector in the possession of the wood. 

In the year 1693, Richard, Lord Colchester, had 
a grant of 250 acres of land in the Forest of Wal- 
tham, in or near Leyton, for the term of 99 years, 
renewed in 1778 to Dorothea Ousley for 31 years. 
This estate, which is called Walwood, is described 
by Lord Chief Baron Manwood in his book of Forest 
LawSy as being not within the bounds of the Forest 
of Waltham, but yet " no part of it nor within the 
regard thereof," viz., not subject to the Forest Laws. 
Lord Colchester built a house there, and in 1748, 
it was in the tenure of Mr. Lewis ; in 1783 Thomas 
Farrer, living at Walwood, was assessed at £^^^ 
and Robert Adams, at Walwood Farm, was at the 
same time assessed at ;^88. In 181 2, Walwood 



12 HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE. 

Farm was in the possession of James Fletcher. 
Walwood House was tenanted in 1794 by Robert 
Williams, to whom, in 1809, the lease was renewed 
for 99f years. It soon afterwards came into the pos- 
session of Mr. William Cotton, Governor of the 
Bank of England, who tlien built the present Wal- 
wood House, and the Cotton family, including Lord 
Justice Cotton, Miss Cotton, the well-known philan- 
thropist, &c., held possession for many years. In 
1894 it was bought by the present occupant, Mr. T. 
A. Smith, who retained only a few acres of the 
grounds, the remainder being covered with new roads 
and buildings forming the Walwood estate, in which 
St. Andrew's Church now stands. 

The foundations of the old house are still easily 
distinguishable, most of the second house was 
adapted to form an adjunct to the present one, and 
the land around is full of old tree roots of the earlier 
wood. In the old papers, hereinafter referred to, it 
is stated that in 1678, when the Ley ton Vicarage was 
re-built by Rev. John Strype, that ** towards ye fur- 
niture of the house and garden, the Right Honble. 
Thomas, Earl of Danby, Lord High Treasurer of 
England, granted some oaks in * Wallwood;' possibly 
he then resided there, and may have accompanied 
King Charles II. in his hunting expeditions in the 
surrounding forest." 

Mr. William Cotton, who built the present 
Walwood House, was the grandson of Dr. Nathaniel 
Cotton, a Physician of St. Albans, a friend of Cow- 
per and Dr. Edward Young (author of NightThoughts)^ 
and the third son of Joseph Cotton, who lived at 
Walnut Tree House, Leyton, and who was in the 
East India Company's Service, in command of the 



WALWOOD HOUSE. 13 



** Queen Charlotte," and became one of its directors, 
and a deputy master of the Trinity House ; he retired 
to Leyton, and died there in 1825. William Cotton 
was bom at Leyton, in 1786, educated at Chigwell, 
married in 1812, Sarah, the only daughter of Thomas 
Lane, who was Churchwarden of Leyton from 1800 
to 18 1 6, and was a descendant of Colonel Lane, of 
Bentley Hall, Staffordshire, whose daughter aided 
King Charles II. by taking him as her serving man 
on a pillion, when he fled to the coast and embarked 
for Fecamp; their family of seven were all born at 
Walwood, and he died there in 1866. He was a 
partner in the firm of Huddart and Co., became 
Governor of the Bank of England in 182 1, and in- 
vented the automatic machine in use there for weigh- 
ing gold. He was a member of various learned and 
philanthropic societies ; his charitable gifts amounted 
to a large sum; he took a special interest in the 
building of Churches, greatly interested himself in 
the building of St. John Baptist, Leytonstone ; St. 
Thomas, one of ten in Bethnal Green, was erected 
at his cost, in memory of one of his sons, and St. 
Paul's, Bow Common, of which his son William was 
first incumbent, followed by his son Arthur. Bishop 
Blomfield called him his *'Lay Archdeacon.'* An- 
other of his sons, Sir Henry, became one of H. M. 
Judges and member of the Judicial Committee of 
Privy Council. Sarah, his daughter, became the wife 
of the distinguished Professor Acland, of the Uni- 
versity of Oxford, who founded the Acland Refuge 
there for poor children, and she took a very active 
interest in her husband's work in the University. 

Agnes Cotton, the youngest daughter, remained 
unmarried ; she opened a Home for Friendless Girls 
in 1865, at Forest Glade, in Whipp's Cross Road* 



14 HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE. 

At the death of Mr. William Davis (about 1877-8, 
she bought his estate of eight acres, on either side of 
Davis' Lane, with the house — ^which she re-named 
**The Pastures," and built there, in 1879, the **Home 
of the Good Shepherd " for young girls ; having ex- 
tensive buildings for laundry work, two cottages for 
infirmary, a private chapel, etc. During her severe 
illness a few years after, she made over the entire 
place by deed to the community of the '' Clewer 
Sisters," for them to take it over at her decease, 
which took place on 20th May, 1899, at the age of 
71. It was then occupied by a branch of the com- 
munity of Sisters, who have made very extensive 
alterations, adding a new wing to the Home. 

jforCSt IbOUSCt at the end of James' Lane (so 
named after Robert James, who lived in a farm- 
house there in 1773), a little beyond Walwood, an- 
ciently belonged to the Abbots of Waltham. In the 
17th century it was in the possession of Charles 
Goring, Earl of Norwich ; later on, it passed into 
the hands of the Heathcote family ; they afterwards 
sold it to the Bosanquets, in whose possession it 
evidently was for at least 100 years, and it remained 
in their possession until 1831. They were a Hugue- 
not family of London merchants. Samuel Bosan- 
quet. Governor of the Bank of England, Chairman 
of Essex Sessions, &c., died there in January, 1765, 
aged 65 ; Mary Bosanquet, his daughter, was born 
there in 1739, and is hereinafter referred to in con. 
nection with ** The Cedars ;" Charles, his second 
son. Governor of the South Sea Company, High 
Sheriff of Northumberland, &c., was born there in 
1769, and died at Rpck, Northumberland, in 1850. 
Sir John Bernard, 1773 — 1814, was born at Forest 
House. He was a Judge of Common Pleas, Stand- 



LEYT0N8T0NE HO USE, , 5 

ing Counsel to the Bank of England and East India 
Company, &c. It was afterwards inhabited by Mr. 
Robinson, until 1840, followed by Mr. Hubbard, a 
relative of D. J. Morgan, Esq., our present M.P. ; 
he died in 1847, and his widow resided there till 
1 85 1. His son was made a peer, under the title of 
Lord Addington, and his daughter married the Rev. 
C. J. Laprimaudaye, nephew of the Vicar of Leyton. 
Mr. Morgan states that his earliest recollections go 
back to the time " when, as a very small boy, I used 
to walk over from Leytonstone across the fields to 
Forest House, past where St. Andrew's Church now 
stands, to take my lessons with the governess of the 
family of Hubbards, my cousins ; and I remember 
well that Mrs. Hubbard, the mother of the late Lord 
Addington, gave children's parties there, at which I 
was present — I am speaking now of about 1 849-1 851." 
Mr. Wm. Fowler, the banker, afterwards occu- 
pied the house ; and it has recently passed into the 
possession of the West Ham Union, who have now 
erected their immense infirmary thereon. 

XeiJtOnfitOne ftOUee, at Forest Edge, was for 
many years the property of the Buxton family. Sir 
Edward North Buxton, who long resided there, was 
the son of Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, who married 
the fifth daughter of John Gurney, of Earlham, Nor- 
folk, was the friend of Wilberforce, and was associa- 
ted with him on questions of slavery, prisons, &c. ; 
he was born in 1786, created a baronet in 1840, and 
died in 1845. ^^^ Edward, born in 1812, was con- 
nected with the famous firm of brewers; and, in 
1836, married the second daughter of the banker and 
famous quaker, Samuel Gurney, of Ham House, 
Upton. His son, Mr. E. North Buxton, is verderer 
of Hainault Forest, takes unwearying interest in its 



1 5 HISTORY OF LEYT0N8T0NE. 

welfare, and has written a very valuable book on the 
subject. He now resides at Knighton. 

The house eventually came into the possession 
of the Bethnal Green Board of Guardians, who now 
have a very extensive establishment there for their 
juvenile poor. 

Sycamore 1>0U6C is a large old house situated 
on the west side of the High Road, near its northern 
end. In 1783, Mr. Wm. Hanson resided there, and 
in the i8th century it was in the possession of the 
Sanson family, who also owned the whole of the 
Fillebrook estate, and from whom, in the first half of 
the 19th century, the land was purchased upon which 
the church of St. John Baptist now stands. The 
house was bought in 1858 and is now inhabited by 
A. Lister, Esq., J. P., the brother of the celebrated 
Lord Lister, the discoverer of the antiseptic treat- 
ment of wounds, who was recently consulted in the 
illness of King Edward VH. Mr. John Alphonso 
Doxat, whose name frequently appears in connection 
with the early history of St. John's, resided there 
in 1812. 

Xcp0OrinO IbOUSC was a fine house, having a 
spring in the courtyard, with very extensive grounds, 
grazing fields, &c., covering over 33 acres, bounded 
on the north by Park Road (now Browning Road) 
and on the south and east by Bushwood; on the 
west it extended nearly to Mornington Road. The 
famous Wanstead House, which was the seat of the 
Earl of Mornington, the owner of Leyspring estate, 
was a very short distance to the east, across Bush- 
wood, and almost within view. Harrison, who visited 
it in 1775, says, ** before the front of the house is a 
long vista, which reaches to the great road at Leigh- 
ton Stone" (this, of course, is the present avenue in 



LBTaPRING AND BUSHWOOD. jj 

Bushwood). Leyspring House was destroyed by fire 
several years ago. The estate, the property of the 
Wellesley and Cowley families, has within the last 
few years become the property of Mrs. C. A. Dring- 
Knighton, and is now covered with roads and houses, 
including the new vicarage, which occupies a site 
very near that of the original mansion. 

Mr. John MofFatt resided there in 1783 ; Mr. 
John Coope in 181 2. It was afterwards in the occu- 
pation of Mr. Nicholas Charrington, the founder of 
the well-known brewery, and much beloved for his 
hospitality and kindness to rich and poor. Miss 
Charrington became the wife of Rev. H. H. Evans, 
who was incumbent of St. John's, Lejrtonstone, from 
1844 to 1863 ; her brothers were Rev. George Char- 
rington, one of the early missionaries to New Zea- 
land, and Messrs. Charles and Fredk. Charrington ; 
Mr. F. N. Charrington was one of the family. He 
tells a graphic story of his conversion from a brewer 
to a temperance reformer. " He was going one night 
to a mission hall in a low slum in the East End, and 
saw a poor woman go to the dopr of a public house 
and say, * Oh, Jack, give me some money, the child- 
ren are crying for bread.* The husband's only reply 
was to knock his wife into the gutter. Mr. Charring- 
ton looked up at the house and saw in large letters 
the name * Charrington, Head & Co.,' and from that 
moment he determined never to enter the > brewery 
again or have anything more to do with it. It 
meant a sacrifice of one-and-a-quarter millions ster- 
ling, but he thanked heaven he was allowed to get 
rid of the responsibility." 

At the time of the fire, Leyspring House was in 
the occupation of Mr. H. Adams. Rev. A. O. 
Russell, curate at St John's, who then resided at 

c 



I» J^lMVmY OF iSYTOmtdifB. 

Rose Cottage, received very serioas injuries at the 
fire, and was assiduously nursed at Walwood House 
by Mr. Cotton's family, 

3V? IfSsnflt with pretty grounds overlooking the 
" Green Man Pond," has for many years been in the 
occupation of Mr. G. A. Hutchison, the genial 
editor of the Boys Own Paper. 

!SU6bW00^t ^ large old house still possessing 
very fine old marble mantelpieces, and with much of 
the very old fashioned character retained, has very 
pretty grounds, also overlooking the pond, and is 
occupied by iMr. J. M. Knight, Surveyor to the 
Mile End Board. ^^InC^^ t)OU0Ct and some other 
old houses adjoin. 

iPbillibroOft IbOUSC, a fine residence, was pur- 
chased by Sir Ledger de Grey (whose family came 
to England in 1685, at the Revocation of the Edict 
of Nantes), and remained in his possession till 181 1; 
it was then purchased by Mr. John Alfonso Doxat, 
whose name and that of his son frequently occur 
in connection with Lejrtonstone Church affairs. He 
was of Swiss descent, and connected with a noted 
firm of Spitalfields silk weavers. He died in that 
house in 1849. It was afterwards sold and pulled 
down in 1889. 

The Bourne Estate. 

As appears from Salmon's History and Antiquities 
of London (1740), and A New History of Essex 
(1770), both in the British Museum, George Swanley, 
captain of a ship (possibly the Captain Swanley to 
whom Pepys refers as commanding the York^ in the 
naval engagement with the Dutch under De Ruyter, 
in 1666,) whose name occurs in 1656 as an inhabitant 



BCXmim X81ATJB. 19 

of Lej^dn, ^Bernard Ostley (Ozler), and Robert 
Abbot, Were joint purchasers of the Manor and 
Rectory of Leyton, 22nd January, 1649. John Smith, 
of London, merchant, afterwards bought Abbot's 
third part, and, by will, gave it to the poor of Lin- 
cdlfi. Morant states, no doubt more correctly, that 
John Smith gave it to the Corporation of Lincoln 
as Trustees for the Poor of Bourne ; and Lysons states 
that the poor of Bourne have an estate in Leyton- 
stone but no interest in the Manor. This is evidently 
the Bourne Estate which comprises a very large por- 
tion of Leytonstone, extending from Church Lane 
to Royal Lodge, and some distance to the west of 
the Great Eastern Railway, much of which, long in 
the occupation of Messrs. Protheroe & Morris for 
their extensive nurseries, has recently been laid out 
in roads and covered with hundreds of houses. 
Many of the earlier houses fronting the High Road 
ar6 now converted into shops, and a few of the some- 
what dilapidated old cottages in the High Road still 
remain. 

3B0UrnC 1>OU0C) situated at the southern end 
of the estate, was for many years in the occupation 
of the Messrs. Protheroe, senior and junior, who 
both died there ; its present occupant is Mr. Griffiths. 

The house now known as ** fcoImIan&6," at 
present in the occupation of Dr. Brown, was the 
birthplace of the present parliamentary representa- 
tive of the district, Mr. D. J. Morgan, M.P., who 
took a prominent part in securing for the public the 
free use of the Forest, through the intervention of 
the Corporation of London ; and the district owes 
much to both his late father and himself for the pro- 
motion of its progress and welfare in very many 

c 2 



20 BI8T0BT OF LBTTONaiONE. 

ways. Mr. Harby, father-in-law to Dr. Cooper, the 
former greatly-esteemed and kindly Churchwarden 
of St. John's, elsewhere referred to, also resided there. 

*' 1?01?al lO&OC" in the High Road, opposite 
Davis' Lane, was a very old residence, but at the 
date of the accompanying illustration had been con- 
siderably modernised ; the grounds originally ex- 
tended considerably beyond the present Midland 
Railway, and there are still some yews, hollies, &c., 
in the garden evidently of great age. It is generally 
believed to have been used as a hunting lodge by 
King Charles II., and even by Queen Elizabeth, thus 
showing the derivation of its name. It is not impro- 
bable that it was also so used by Kings James I. and 
IL, who both hunted in the forest. It was certainly 
very ancient, and some large extremely old stables, 
which probably once appertained to it, were pulled 
down when the Tottenham and Forest Gate Railway 
was built. A subterranean passage still partially ex- 
ists in the grounds, which once led across the road 
to the *' Cedars " opposite, said to have been occu- 
pied by Nell Gwynne. The part which crossed the 
High Road was broken through some years since, 
when the large sewer was constructed. 

The original building {see illmtration) destroyed 
by fire in 1878, when in the possession of Mr. 
Clayton, was re-built by him, still bearing the old 
name, and is now in the possession of the writer. 
Miss Clayton writes, that *' during the time of re- 
storation, a great number of old coins of the reign 
of Charles I. were found, also some buckles, which 
my father jokingly remarked had belonged to the 
shoes of Nell Gwynne, as she was known to have 
been a frequent visitor there. There was a splendidly 
carved old mantelpiece in the room upstairs, which 



ROYAL LODGE, 2 1 

was formerly used as the banqueting room; there 
was also some very fine carving in other rooms. The 
property at one time included * Shrublands,' next 
door to it, in fact I believe the Chapel belonging to 
Royal Lodge stood on the site * Shrublands ' is built 
on." 

A large old house, with considerable grounds, 
stood upon the site now occupied by Balfour Terrace. 
Its last occupant was Mr. Drake, but it was unused 
for a long time, and it is not many years since it was 
pulled down for building purposes; it was at one 
time in the occupation of Mr. Sims, a West India 
planter. 

park 1)0U6C — close to the Midland station in 
the High Road, is a fine house, though now some- 
what dilapidated. It once possessed very extensive 
grounds extending in the direction of the present St. 
Augustine's Church. It has an elaborate coat of 
arms over the doorway, but it is difficult to find 
much information as to its early inhabitants. 

In an old map, dated 1721, the land adjoining 
the house bears the name of Cookes : in Cox's His- 
tory of Essex y ** Mr. Cookes' seat at Leightonstone " 
(sic) is named, and Miss Cookes of Leytonstone was 
married by license in 1729, it was, therefore, probably 
in their possession at that time ; in more recent 
times it was occupied by Mr. Ninds, and later by 
Mr. David Hart, by whom it was elaborately de- 
corated. 

TtbC Cc&arS was a fine old house facing the 
High Road, close to the corner of Davis' Lane, and 
the estate belonging to it was on the site of the pre- 
sent Femdale Road. It was apparently connected 
with Royal Lodge by the subterranean passage which 



22 HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONB, 

still partially exists, and tradition says it was occupied 
by Nell Gwynne. It had two splendid cedars in 
front, one of which was blown down by a heavy gale, 
and the other, with the old house, were removed 
little more than twenty years ago, some small por- 
tions of the foundations can even now be seen. Miss 
Mary Bosanquet, who was born at Forest House, in 
1739, and grew up there, having had serious differ- 
ences with her family on the subject of Wesleyanism, 
removed and afterwards resided at the Cedars from 
1763 to 1768, where she established a charitable in- 
stitution. Wesley preached there. She became the 
wife of the Rev. John Fletcher, (John de la Flechire), 
John Wesley's designated successor. Mrs. Fletcher 
endowed the Wesleyan Church at Leyton, hence its 
name, "The Mary Fletcher Wesleyan Church." 
The Cedars was, for many years in the middle of last 
century, occupied by Mr. (or Capt.) Tebbutt, who, 
as Mr. Morgan writes, was **one of those who, in the 
old days, with Mr. Cotton of Walwood, Mr. Charring- 
ton of Leyspring, and old Mr. Doxat of the High 
Road, Leytonstone, were always ready to do every- 
thing possible to help in every good work in Leyton- 
stone, which was then one of the prettiest villages 
which could be imagined.'* 

The house now known as ^bC lpa0tUrC0t in 
Davis' Lane, was, at the time of building St. John's, 
in the possession of Mr. Wm. Davis (who gave the 
name to the lane), with about eight acres of adjoining 
land, gardens, &c, He, with Mr. Wm. Cotton, of 
Walwood, was most indefatigable in promoting the 
building of St. John's Church, and very munificently 
contributed to it, he was its first warden and held 
that office nearly 22 years. 

The house is of great age, it is even supposed to 



THE PASTUBBS. 23 

date back to the i6th or 17th century. It is very 
strongly built, most of the walls of even outbuildings 
being 18 inches thick, all the window frames are of 
solid mahogany, and are apparently the original ones. 
Its front staircase is very broad, made of oak, the 
loft with stairs, posts, floors, &c., are also of oak. 
The stable carries a weather-vane dated 1730, but the 
building is evidently much older. An old leaden 
cistern there bears the inscription dvm A very long 

1687 1 

outbuilding, still in perfect condition, is said to have 
been used by the owner during the Commonwealth 
to drill his men in during wet days when they could 
not work outside; and it was apparently similarly 
used at the commencement of the 19th century, there 
axe still in the place several relics of those times, such 
as old. bayonets with broken wooden handles, old 
dilapidated swords, scabbards, &c. 

Mr. Dicker, churchwarden of St. John's from 
1868 to 1875, residedthere. It was bought, in 1877-8, 
by Miss Agnes Cotton, who there founded the 
" Home of the Good Shepherd/* (See p. 13.) 

The Burness family resided near the house now 
occupied by the Salisbury Club, and the Grove Road 
was cut through their estate, which extended to Park 
Road. 

Mrs. Elliott, the donor of the Elliott Room, re- 
sided next to the Salisbury Club, and the estate 
around the Elliot Room was the property of the 
Baxter family. 

The house now occupied by the Salisbury Club, 
at the corner of Aylmer Road, was once in the oc- 
cupation of Mr. Benjamin Cotton, brother of Mr. 
Cotton, of. *? Walwood," and it was afterwards occu- 
pied by. Mr. Doxat 



24 HISTORY OF LBYTONSTONE. 

CbCdtnUt 'bouse, formerly occupied by Mr. 
Collins, once churchwarden of St. John's, was on 
the east side of the High Road, and was pulled 
down for the Midland Railway. 

£adIC 'bouse, a fine house, with beautiful iron 
entrance gates, flanked by pillars capped with eagles, 
stood on the west side of High Road, nearly opposite 
the *' Bell,'' and was once in the occupation of Mr. 
Wheen, churchwarden of St. John's. 

CromVPell 'bOUSet at the comer of Barclay 
Road, was so named by Mr. Wickham, who bought 
it in 1865. He and his family have resided in it ever 
since ; Mr. Hervey previously resided there. It had 
a large number of farm buildings adjoining, but they 
were pulled down when the site was required for new 
buildings. Mr. Wickham took a prominent part in 
connection with the Congregational Chapel in the 
High Road, and in much of the philanthropic work 
in the district, and his work is carried on by his son. 

(BainSbOrOUab feOUSe, at the corner of Gains- 
borough Road, was inhabited by Dr. F. Cooper, who, 
with his father, was for many years in medical prac- 
tice in Wanstead and Le3rtonstone. He was church- 
warden of St. John's, and worked most usefully in the 
parish, and was succeeded by Dr. Walker, and after- 
by Dr. Jekyll, who now resides there. Before the 
making of Gainsborough Road, a footpath a little 
farther north led across the fields towards Leyton. 

Mr. Morgan, M.P., writes : — "From the Church 
northwards, after passing what was then a field, one 
came to Mr. Payze's farmyard, straw-littered, with 
its large black gate and black thatched barn, and 
then, beyond, a number of cottages with gardens 
which were always bright with flowers." The £airm- 



OTHSR NOTABLE NAMES, 25 

house itself was altered and made into a modem 
residence, and was for several years occupied by Mr. 
George Field Morris, of the Firm of Protheroe & 
Morris, auctioneers ; it now bears the name of ** The 
Limes." Mr. Payze, who held the farm, was at one 
time landlord of the " Crown ;" his family were verj- 
old inhabitants of the district, and still hold property 
in it. 

It is much to be regretted, that although the 
district once contained so many other fine old resi- 
dences, further information respecting them and their 
inhabitants is so meagre and indefinite, that it has 
not been found practicable to write much more on 
the subject which could be at all reliable. 

Other Noteworthy Names. 

IT is noticeable how many French and foreign 
names occur in the various documents and in con- 
nection" with the district, and it seems evident that 
many of the Huguenots and refugees who fled from 
France, Brabant, &c., to avoid such persecutions as 
followed the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, in 
1685, &c., settled in the neighbourhood and soon 
made their influence beneficially felt. The names of 
Bosanquet, Dubordieu, Laprimaudaye, Boulnois, 
Crespigny, Loubiere, Capon, Doxat, Daubuz, and 
others appear, some most prominently, in furtherance 
of good work in connection with the religious move- 
ment elsewhere detailed, and will therefore be omitted 
here, as well as the names of those otherwise noted 
in connection with that work, but a few names not 
otherwise noted will now be added. 

"Roc* Sir Thomas Roe, the first English Am- 
bassador to the East, was born at Leyton in 1580, 



26 HISTOR Y OF LB YT0NS70NE, 

He was knighted in 1604, and went on a voyage of 
discovery to the West Indies. In 1614, he was sent 
by James I. on an embassy to the Great Mogul, from 
whose Court he removed to that of the Grand Seig- 
nor, where he obtained very substantial advantages 
for his countrymen. On his return, he was made . 
Chancellor of the Garter and a member of the Privy 
Council. He brought to this country the famous 
Alexandrine Greek manuscript of the Bible, which 
he obtained from the Patriarch of Alexandria, and 
which is now in the British Museum. He died in 
1644. 

1>OU{)lOn. The name of Houblon frequently 
occurs in connection with this district. The family 
fled to England during the religious persecutions by 
the Duke of Alva, in Brabant. Sir James repre- 
sented the City of London in 1648, another becamp 
Lord Mayor of London in 1677, and a third, Sir 
John, was Lord Mayor in 1696. He was also Gov- 
ernor of the Bank of England, and Commissioner of 
the Admiralty in 1694. He subscribed £100 to the 
Greenwich Hospital Fund, and Sir James gave ;^io 
to the poor of Leyton, which was distributed in 
1702. Their descendants are the Houblons, of Hal- 
lingbury Place, Essex, and Culverthorpe, Lincoln ; 
one of the family attended Pepys' funeral. On mar- 
riage with the ancient family of Archer, of Cooper- 
sale, Theydon Gernon, Essex, they adopted the 
additional " Archer " to their former name. 

In Evelyn^s Diary occurs the following note, i6th 
March, 1683 : ** To Houblon's, building a house in 
the Forest near Sir J. Child's, where the late Earl 
of Norwich dwelt, and which came to him from his 
Lady, the widow of Mr. Baker." Anotjier npte is : 



OTHER NOTEWORTHY NAMES, 27 

" Visited tke Earl of Norwich at his house in Epping 
Forest, where many good pictures in the wainscot 
brought from Spain by Mr. Baker, his Lordship's 
predecessor there " (Wanstead House). It is under- 
stood that the trees in the numerous avenues radia- 
ting from Wanstead House were planted under 
Evelyn's direction and supervision, 

Hrcbcn The ancient family of Archer, long 
connected with the history of the district, was de- 
scended from Simon de Bois, renamed by the King 
after the battle of Agincourt in 141 5. Henry Archer, 
whose bequest, in 1584, of a rent-charge on *' Cooper- 
sale" is hereinafter referred to, was the father of Judge 
Archer. Sir John Archer was Sergeant-at-Law in 
1660, and Puisne Judge of Common Pleas in 1663. 
Mr. and Mrs. Archer Houblon, the representatives 
of the Archer and Houblon families, owned and re- 
sided at " Coopersale " in the middle of the last 
century. 

1?Uml)0l&. Sir Thomas Rumbold, Bart., of 
" Woodhall,'' Watton, Herts, Governor of Madras, 
and later M.P. for Shoreham, was born at Leyton- 
stone, in 1736; the family having previously resided 
at Fulham. His eldest son, Sir George Berriman 
Rumbold, was Minister Resident to the Hanse 
Towns, and was seized at Hamburg by the French 
and taken to Paris in October, 1804. He was after- 
wards released, and arrived in London in the follow- 
ing November. The Right Honorable Sir Horace 
Rumbold, Bart., G.C.B., G.C.M.G., late H.M. Am- 
bassador at Vienna, is the present representative of 
the family. 

1?itCbie. The Right Honble. Chas. T. Ritchie, 
M.P. for Croydon, formerly Secretaiy to the Acjmiral- 



28 HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE. 

ty, and who recently resigned the Chancellorship of 
the Exchequer ; also his brother, now Lord Mayor of 
London, have both been residents in Leytonstone. 

The well-known illusionist. Pepper, inventor of 
" Pepper's Ghost," resided in Leytonstone, and re- 
cently died there. 

Tom Hood once resided in Lake House, Bush- 
wood, and there wrote Tilney Hall, The Epping 
Hunt, &c. 

Mr. William Whittingham, who resides in 
Walnut Tree Cottage, which he built a few years ago, 
is the representative of a very old Leytonstone family. 
His father, Mr. John Whittingham, long resided 
there, and with his brother. Rev. Samuel Whitting- 
ham, D.D., rector of Childrey, Berkshire, had estates 
there on the east side of High Road, between Davis' 
Lane and Harrow Green ; they were the sons of 
Rev. Richard Whittingham, vicar of Potten, Bed- 
fordshire, where a marble tablet with a medallion 
portrait, by Westmacott, was erected in the church 
to his memory. 

Rev. Pitt Wigram, one of the early curates in 
charge of St. John's, afterwards became rector of 
Wanstead, and his brother, Mr. Money Wigram, the 
eminent shipbuilder and owner, resided at " Wood- 
house," Harrow Green, in the middle of the 19th 
century. 

Sir MoRELL Mackenzie, the throat speciahst who 
attended the German Emperor Frederick in his last 
illness, was born in 1837 ^t Leytonstone, where his 
father was in practice as a physician; his brother 
Stephen was also a noted physician. The house was 
in the High Road, near the present Grove Road, 
where they last resided, and in front of which the 



OTHER NOTABLE! NAMJB8. 29 

father was accidentally killed ; but the birthplace of 
Sir Morell was at the corner of Park Road, and is 
still in existence. He died in 1892. 

Mr. Henry C. Fehr, who is becoming famous 
as a sculptor, is a native of Leytonstone, and for 
years resided at the ''Shrublands," adjoining Royal 
Lodge. To quote the Encyclopcedia Britannica: "He 
was a pupil at the Royal Academy and of Mr. Brock, 
and contributed the group of *' Perseus and Andro- 
meda " (10 ft. high) to the Academy in 1893, when it 
was purchased for the Chantrey collection (Tate 
Gallery). His subsequent ideal works, * H)^nos 
bestowing Sleep upon the Earth ' (also 10 ft. high), 
'The Spirit of the Waves,' *St. George and the 
rescued Maiden,' and 'Ambition's Crown fraught 
with Pain,' confirmed the high opinion of his clever- 
ness ; but in some of them his exuberance tells some- 
what against their general effect, in spite of their 
inherent grace and strength. On the other hand, 
the statue of 'James Watt,' for the city square of 
Leeds, exhibits those qualities needful for open air 
portraiture ; and his busts and statues have character 
and life." Others of his important public commis- 
sions are the Queen Victoria Memorial for Hull (35 
ft. high), with richly-carved pedestal and bronze side 
groups; "Dr. Cartwright," for Bradford; "John 
Harrison," for Leeds; " Gladstone, " for Liverpool 
and New Zealand ; 28 marble busts for the Institu- 
tion of Civil Engineers ; busts of Browning, Ruskin, 
Morris, Passmore Edwards, and others, in various 
Institutes of London ; four coloured panels, 27 ft. 
long, of the " Wars of the Roses," for the Municipal 
buildings, Wakefield, &c. 

Lady Margaret Bryan, of Leyton, was princi- 
pal governess to Edward VI., Mary, and Elizabeth. 



JO HISTORY OF tBYTO^SfONE. 



Monuments and Graves. 

THERE are no monumental tablets nor monu- 
ments in the Church, and no particularly striking 
monuments in the churchyard, although many mem- 
bers of prominent local families are buried there. 
Mr. William Cotton, so often previously referred to, 
was buried there in December, 1866, aged 80 ; also 
his wife in December, 1872, aged 82 ; William Charles 
Cotton, in June, 1879, aged 66 ; Agnes Cotton (of 
'*The Pastures," in May, 1899, aged 71. 

Mr. Nicholas Charrington was buried there in 
June, 1859, aged 83 ; likewise his wife and several of 
his children, as well as many of the Buxton family. 
Madame de Bunsen, a daughter of Mr. Samuel Gur- 
ney and sister of Mrs. Edward North Buxton, was 
buried there in January, 1903, aged 85. Among the 
wreaths on her coffin was one from the King, who in 
his childhood was under her care, and always held 
her in high esteem. She was the wife of Baron 
Ernest de Bunsen, who only survived her three 
months, and was buried in the same grave. Two 
de Bunsen children were also buried there. Susan- 
nah Barclay, of Forest Place, was buried there in 
May, 1852, aged 63. 

Dr. Stephen Mackenzie, the father of Sir Morell 
Mackenzie, was accidentally killed in front of his 
own house, and was buried near the above-named in 
November, 185 1, aged 47. Many of the Arber and 
Whittingham families, very old residents, also rest 
there. A curious tombstone, showing a cricket bat and 
a wicket with the middle stump knocked down, is 
erected in memory of Joseph Wood, a cricketer. 



GENERAL GLEANINGS. 31 

A brass has Tecefitly been placed in the Chilrch, 
in memory of White, of Leytonstone, who belonged 
to I St King's Dragoon Guards, and was killed in the 
war in South Africa, 26th November, 1901. It was 
erected by his officers and comrades. 

A few General Gleanings. 

FISHER'S Forest of Essex. At the Manor Court 
of " Rokholt," on 21st May, 1532, it was pre- 
sented that the Lord of the Manor might make a 
pair of stocks and a pair of gallows between the 
Manor of Wanfield {qy. Wanstead) and the Manor 
of Rokholts. 

In 1698, it was necessary that during some time 
cavalry should patrol every evening on the roads near 
the boundary between Middlesex and Essex, against 
a fraternity of plunderers ; and Essex in the Days of 
Old states that letters in 1597 refer to mounted and 
masked highwaymen on Leyton heath, who made 
their rendezvous at Snaresbrook ; the cave at High 
Beach was the resort of Dick Turpin. 

The name *' Hainault" is believed to occur in 
the records for the first time in 1719-20, and was 
variously written in the 13th, 14th and i6th centuries 
as Hineholt, Hyneholt, Inholt, and Henholt. The 
two books previously named, state that Henry VIII., 
Queen Elizabeth, and James I. were especially fond 
of hunting in Epping Forest, and some entries on 
the Court rolls show that James' successors some- 
times hunted there. Robert Dudley, Earl of Leices- 
ter, entertained Queen Elizabeth at Wanstead for 
five days, in May, 1578, and she sometime resorted 
to the lodge at Chingford which bears her name. 
This is fair confirmation of the authenticity of the 



P j2 HISTORY OF LETTONaTONB. 

f popular statement that Royal Lodge was also used 

f by them, and by King Charles IL and King James 

[ II. It may also be noted that Queen Mary, on her 

^ way to London for her coronation, in August, 1553, 

f was entertained at Wanstead House, close by, for 

' some days. It is also said that at the time of the de- 

molition of Wanstead House, Mr. Davis, of Davis' 
I Lane, and Mr. Money Wigram, of " Woodhouse," 

Harrow Green, noting the ruthless destruction, with 
a view to the sale of the timber, of the various long 
and beautiful avenues planted by Evelyn in the 17th 
century, radiating from the front of the house across 

• Bushwood in many directions, generously preserved 
; for the public such of them as were not already de- 
f stroyed, by purchasing them at their own cost, at a 
, valuation, and keeping them untouched. 

As there was much need of small change pre- 
vious to and during the Commonwealth, coins being 

* minted in silver and gold only, tokens for halfpennies, 
' &c., were current, and were issued in Leytonstone 
, and adjoining districts; several are in the British 

and West Ham Museums. In 1672, the Mint began 
I to issue copper coinage, and tokens were made illegal. 

t An Assembly Room, which not many years 

f since, still stood at the eastern end of Assembly 

J Row, just beyond Walwood, and from which its 

name was derived, is said to have been used by the 
merchants of London to transact business at the 
time of the Great Plague of London, when they 
I could not safely meet in the Royal Exchange, in con- 

sequence of the danger of infection. 

Mr. Strype (elsewhere referred to) the famous 
historian and antiquary was, for 68 years, the vicar 
of Leyton, and was buried in 1737, aged 94. His 



OLD LEYTONSTONE INNS, 

As they formerly were, early 19th Century. 




The "Qreea Man.' 




The **Red LioUi 



GENERAL GLEANINGS, 



II 



father was a merchant and silk throwster, a native of 
Brabant, who is said to have fled to this country 
to escape from religious persecution in his own. He 
lived in a paved alley, afterwards called *'Strype's 
Court," in Petticoat Lane, in the parish of Stepney, 
and attended St. Dunstan's, Stepney, and was buried 
there. His son was born in Strype's Alley, ist Nov- 
ember, 1643, educated at St. Paul's School, and 
entered Jesus College, Cambridge, 1662, took his 
B.A. degree in 1665, and M.A. in 1669, and then 
became Curate of Theydon Bois, and in 1679 was 
licensed to Leyton Parish Church, at a time when 
the living seems to have fallen into abeyance, the 
profits of the benefice being only £\b per annum, and 
the vicarage a ruin, Mrs. Swanley is named as one 
of the Patrons at the time (see Bourne Estate). The 
Ecclesiastical Commissioners advised that fpo aug- 
mentation should be granted by the Committee of 
plundered ministers, and the Manor of Leyton 
charged with a payment of ;^3 per annum to the 
Vicar. Subsequently, by the aid of wealthy parish- 
ioners, a sinecure at Tarring, Sussex, and a lecture- 
ship at Hackney, he was placed in comfortable cir- 
cumstances, and afterwards commenced his famous 
and arduous historical work. 




stutpb's msmorial tablet. 



34 HISTOR Y OF LB YTONSTONE, 

A collection made in Leyton, in 1678, towards 
the rebuilding of the Cathedral Church of St. Paul, 
after the Great Fire of London, only appears to 
have amounted to £^ los. 

For the assessment of a " Peny Rate for rob- 
bery mony, &c.," made in 1691, the parish was 
divided as follows : " Layton Stone (Sir Michael 
Hicks, Kt. and Bart., heading the list); Layton 
Street; Capworth Street, &c., Landholders." 

The following notice was issued at the time of 
Napoleon's threatened invasion of England : — 

"Leyton, August lo/A, 1803. — ^The Superintendent and 
Committee appointed in this Parish for the Purpose 
of rendering the Body of the People instrumental 
to the general Defence in case of Invasion request a 
Meeting of the Inhabitants^ in the Church, on Wed- 
nesday next, the 17th instant, at Ten o'clock in the 
Morning precisely, in order to consider and deter- 
mine on the propriety of immediately entering into 
a Subscription in Aid of the Volunteer Corps. 

"S. BOSANQUET, JUN., 

" Superintendent and CAairman" 

®l& 3nn0* — The names of old Inns in Leyton- 
stone occur in various documents on the following 
dates : "Harrow" and "Plough and Harrow," 1651 
and later; " Green Man " and "Robin Hood," 1670; 
"Coach and Horses," 1724; "Bell," 1793; "Red 
Lyon," " Crown," &c., also at early dates. 

The Pump, opposite the " Green Man," was 
repaired in 1819. The Cage was removed to Harrow 
Green in 1833. 



GENERAL GLEANINGS. 



35 



Lieutenants of the Forest (some of whom 
were resident in Leytonstone) : — 

'*Sir William Hicks, 1640— 1670. 

William Harvey, 1709— 173 i. 

Sir Richard Child, 1733. 

Lord Castlemaine, 1743. 

Smart Lethieullier, 1754. 

John (afterwards Sir) Henniker, 1761. 

Samuel Bosanquet, 1803 — 1806, when he died. 

Col. Bullock, 1807. 

Sir William Smijth, i8ii — 1817.** 
From Fisher's Forest of Essex. 




PORTRAIT OF JOHN STRYPE. 



P 2 



i . 





CHAPTER III. 

Quotations from Old Registers and 
other Old Doouments. 

Summary of information as to the district in general before the 
establishment of Church organization, as contained in the old 
documents in St. John's Vestry — Extracts from Parish Registers 
— Leytonstone as a little village gradually developing — Striking 
and interesting comparisons, quaint and curious quotations 
illustrative of its progress. 

)S the main object of the book is concisely 
to summarise and record the information 
voluminously contained in the beforenamed 
old documents, and to continue the record 
so far as relates to Leytonstone and its Churches up 
to the present time ; the foregoing little history will 
suffice as an introduction, and the old papers will 
now be more particularly referred to, with only short 
connecting remarks. 

In this chapter, matters of local interest of early 
date, to which the old papers relate, will be dealt 
with as elucidated by references to public contempo- 
rary historical events, which throw much interesting 
light upon them; the history will also be carried 
down to later times, leaving to following chapters its 
ultimate development. The elucidating references, 
printed in somewhat larger type, are of course not 
contained in the registers, nor are the few other 
obvious interpellations. 



37 



Extracts from Old Papers in 
St. Johns Vestry. 

ONE of the old books carries back the records to 
1584 as relating to Leyton, of which Leyton- 
stone was then only a dependent hamlet ; but, as the 
earlier portion of the book relates almost exclusively 
to bequests, tombs and brasses, parish boundaries, 
additions and repairs at old Leyton Church, and as 
our present purpose is mainly to refer to matters re- 
lating to Le)rtonstone itself, and especially to record 
Church progress therein, it will be sufficient to quote 
for general illustration, only a few of the earlier 
quaint items which throw a curious light on the life 
and conditions of the place, especially in the seven- 
teenth and eighteenth centuries. 

At the Easter general Vestry, 1677, John Strype, 
M.A. (the famous historian and antiquary), ** having 
lived and officiated as Minister of the Parish for over 
seven years, reminded the parishioners of their pro- 
mise at his first coming among them, which was to 
repair, or rather if need were, to rebuild the Vicarage 
House, which was of a long time very ruinous." 
Subscriptions were at once made by " divers of the 
well affected parishioners," the Incumbent '* under- 
took y* building thereof himself," the '* foundation 
of this house was begun to be laid in August, 1677, 
and all finished in September the year following, and 
y* above named John Strype came into it to dwell 
and reside their by the favour of God, 3^ 26 of Sep- 
tember, 1678." The building apparently cost;f223 
gs. 3d., and there were various gifts of materials; 



^8 HISTORY OF LETT0N8T0NS, 

but apart from these, the subscriptions only amounted 
to ^78 19s., and it would therefore appear that the 
Vicar had to make up the balance (;f 144 los. 3d.) 
himself, out of his extremely small income. 

Another curious minute (30th Oct., 1699,) says, 
" Whereas an antient order was made to allow five 
pounds for y* perambulation dinner and no more, 
and these dinners have generally exceeded, it is 
agreed and ordered that hereafter no more shall be 
allowed than the s^ sum of five pounds, if any excess 
y* churchwarden to bear the charge himself" This 
bears the signature of John Strype, Vicar, and a 
number of others, but evidently did not have the 
desired effect, for a similar Vestry order was made 
15 May, 1710, with the addition, " No Churchwarden 
without the order of Vestry to lay out in reparation 
of the Church and churchyard above 40 sh. , nor any 
new work on any pretence whatsoever." 

Another illustrative minute (1703), relates to a 
dispute between the parishes of Wanstead and "Low 
Leighton," as to liability to repair "the wooden 
bridge lying cross the road at HoUoway Down, in 
Layton Stone Highway being decayed ;" showing 
that there must have been water or a stream of some 
kind there at that time, and that the road was rather 
primitive for a decaying wooden bridge to serve the 
purpose in a highway of such importance. A meet- 
ing to decide the matter was held on 24 Sept., 1703, 
at the " Green Man," in Leyton Stone, consisting of 
two Justices of the Peace, the respective Ministers, 
and surveyors of each parish, " with divers other in- 
habitants of the same. And among the rest of the 
proofs in behalf of this (Leyton) Parish, Mr. Strype, 
the minister of Low Layton, produced an authentick 
paper of 100 years past, wanting only two years, 



\ 



J - 



MXTBACTB. ^^ 

which was writ by one Dawson an ancient man, in 
these words, * The Bridge beyond Ruccolds being in 
the way as you go to Stratford is in Wanstead parish, 
and the bridge which is between Layton stone and 
Stratford is in Wanstead parish : For I have known 
it this 60 years & it is about 40 years since I dwelt 
at Ruccolds, This I speak of my own knowledge.' 
On the back side of this paper is writ by the hands 
of Sr Michael Hicks Kt. (whose hand Mr. Strype 
very well knew) as follows : — * 1609 Goodman Daw- 
son's testimony that Wanstead Parish ought to 
mend the way between Ruckholts & Stratford Lang- 
thome.' " It was decided that Wanstead was liable 
for the repairs. 

There are further minutes of a Vestry meeting 
at the "Blackbirds," on 20th August, 171 1, as to 
building of a gallery; and one (26 Dec. 1707,) agree- 
ing " that there shall be posts set up in the narrow 
of the lane leading by the Bowling Green to the 
Marsh, to stop carts from going thro the marsh & 
spoiling the land." The hostelries were then evi- 
dently largely utilised for meetings, and vestry 
meetings " after morning sermon " are frequently 
recorded. 

There are also several minutes (17 12, &c.) re- 
lating to the building and selling of pews and seats 
at Leyton Parish Church. 

Reference is made (3 Sept., 1722,) to the " Half 
Glebe Acre, lying beyond the Ferry." 

Phillip Sansom, Esq., obtained (6 Oct., 1800,) 
the Vestry's approval of his proposal ** to add 30 feet 
in width to his Fore court, by giving the road an easy 
turn from the Green Man to the pond at the end of 
his premises, provided a sufficient footpath be pre- 



40 HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE. 

served without side of Mr. Sansom's garden wall." 
This item is interesting in connection with the pur- 
chase, some 32 years later from the trustees of Miss 
Sansom (probably his daughter) of the ground upon 
which St. John Baptist Church now stands. 

Another book of extracts from the Register, from 
1649 to 1774, with memoranda evidently made later 
on, for Mr. Harvey, when he was churchwarden, con- 
tains much interesting matter in a condensed form, 
portions of which may appropriately now be quoted : 

Quotations fnom the Register and 
accompanying Memoranda. 

Commonwealth— Cromwell ** Lord Protector." 

1653 — P3,id for setting up the large States Arms, . . 25s. 

For the lesser 20s. 

The Restoration. 
1659 — Paid for the King's Arms and frame .. £j 2s. 

1662 — For mending y^ King's Arms . , . . 8s. 06. 

The Great Plague. 
1665 — ^The Distemper was at Leyton. 
1676— Whole charge of the Poor this year £^1 17. Rate 

at 4d. amounted to £i^ 19s. 
1689 — Collection for the Irish Protestants fled into Eng- 
land, ;^58 4s. 8d. 
1689 — Collection for the Protestants of Savoy fled into 

Switzerland (erased). 
1690— Agreed that a Watch House shall be reared at the 
Stocks, towards ^ Aldermn Tench hath pro- 
mised 2,000 bricks. 
1692 — A Collection for redemption of Captives in Algiers 

and Sally, ;^ 7 iis. lod. 
1693— A fine for cutting wood in Wallwood. 

Death off Queen Mary* wiffe off William 111. 
1694 — Putting the Pulpit in Mourning, £1 i6s. 
1695 — Reed, of 2 for tipling and p.fane swearing, 14s. 04. 

Queen Anne's Reij^n. 
1708 — For a pair of new Stocks at Layton Stone, ;^3. 



EXTRACTS, 41 

1709 — £fio paid in purchase of a field at Leytonstone, 
called Sraallgains (let on lease (1854) to Mr. Jno. 
Wheen, at ;£i6 per annum). 
Possibly referred to In Mr. Dunster's Letter, 1750. 

1709 — 2oth November, Mr. Carter chosen Lecturer. 

1709 — Fees for Burial in the Ch. according to antient 
custom : a noble for a man or woman grown of 
the p-ish, a mark for any from another p-ish, and 
10 groats for one under ten yrs. old. 
Date of Marlborough's Victory over the French at Malplaquet. 

1709— Agreed to take two families of y poor Palatines 
this winter, lying at present in Cold Tents on 
Blackheath ; about the allowance of £$ per head 
which the State has promised to give. 

Frequent similar entries, one or two specially naming 
Leytonstone. 

1 7 18 — Snow to be Beadle for searching after inmates and 

taking up vagrants, £$ per annum. 
1724— Ord. for prosecuting the harbourers of inmates. 
1732— Ord. that no hedgehogs or polecats be paid for. 

South 5ea Bubble. 
1740 — 100 S. S. Ann. to be purchased. 

The Rebellion (see Mr. Dubordieu's Sermon on the Rebellion 
in the Leyton Public Ubrary). 

1746— A search for Papists. 

1753 — Ord. for removing shuffle boards, skittle and bowl- 
ing alleys. 
The workhouse not to be a receptacle for the kept 

mistresses of those who are able to maintain 

them. 
1756— Ord. touching vagrants lodging in outhouses, barns, 

&c. 
Ord : for reducing the number of alehouses. 
Stocks and whipping post to be erected near the 

"Lion and Key." 
There are many notes of Inquests especially on persons drowned. 
1746 — Inquest on Highwayman shot. 
1773 (see also 1690 & 1708) — The Cage to be built on the 

land on which the shop of Dav. Jones lately stood ; 

the Stocks to be removed to the back of the Cage. 



42 



HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE. 



High way Sf Bridges f EnclosureSf Increase 
of Inhabitants, Ac. 

1703— Abt. Hol)rwell Bridge. 

1710— Ord. the parish officers to prosecute Will Brown, of 
Walthamstow, for erecting a cottage near Knight's 
[Qy. now " Knott's ") Green in Leyton, there being 
not four acres, and warning given him to y* 
contrary. 

171 1— Agreed that the Ch-warden and constable go to 
the Qu. Sess. to carry on a prosecution against 
certain new cotages lately erected near Knight's, 
the Wheelwright. 

1753 — Antient inhabitants employed to find out the origi- 
nal footway from Leyton St. to the Church. A 
draught of the antient footway from Leyton St. 
laid before the Vestry. 

1758 — Enq. to be made after the original footpath from 
Le3rton St. to the Church. 

1759-— A motion that the business relating to a Church 
footpath through Mr. Oliver's grounds be post- 
poned. Proposal that a footpath be made by 
Mr. Oliver. 

1760— Enq. to be made abt. houses built on the waste at 

Holywell Downe (Qy. now "HoUoway"). Three 

houses built on the waste at Saul's Green, within 

the Mr. of Ruckholts. 

A kind of pposal. for repairg. the highway betwn. 

the p shes. of L. & W. {Qy. " Wanstead"). 

1763— The additional churchyards, consecrated, £22 i8s. 

1765— Mr. Ward, of Furnival's Inn, to draw up a case for 
an opinion how the great increase of cottages 
may be prevented. 

1766 — Mr. Fowell applies to enclose, carried against it, 
aff. 6, neg. 9. Nevertheless he does it. The Vsty. 
threaten to pull down his wall. Determination to 
pull down Mr. Powell's wall. He pays ;6loo. 
A Fire Engine thought necessary. 



MXTRACTB. 43 

1767 — House for the Engine, Buckets. 

1768— A committee to view the encroachments made upon 
the path in the field leading to Leyton St. Chapl, 
and Mr. Oliver is one. Notice to Mr. Pardee to 
remove his enclosures at Hempstall's Green ; con- 
sent that the enclosures remain. Leave to Thos. 
Oliver, Esq., to stop up the Church path ^ leads 
through his grounds, and to enclose the same. 

1769 —Mr. Fowell's ;£ 100 in the name of nobody. 
Composition to the new bridge too large. 
Lands of Sr. Rob. Kite, Mr. Rigg and— Holebrooke 
omitted in the rate. 

1770— Orded. that Munday and Carter remove all obstruc- 
tions on the side of the road so as to leave the 
road 30 f. clear, and Munday to remove his tem- 
porary buildg. set up for the reception of lodgers 
otherwise they will bd p-ceced. ag** according 
to law. 
Two doz. of Bucketts £61^, Two pair of handcuffs 
for the Constables. 



Chupch PlatBf Fupnlturef &c. 

1652 —Silver and gilt cup, with a river, wt. 20 oz. J. 
A green cloth and a white one. 
A pewter flagon. 
1653— Benj. Brond: he left £$ to jT psh. ^- was Id. out 

for change the old chalice for a great am. 1670. 
165 g —For an hour gl. and gilding it and y« iron frame, lo. 
1666— Pd. for a Flaggon, ids. 
I670— Pd. for exch. of the Comm. cup, £^ 08. 
1682— An hour glass, J glass, i6d. 
1685— Tho. Nash, aColonal (undecipherable) delivd. to him 

by Job, 6 May, 1685, a sil. cup and chalice and 3 

books and a blk. cloth. 
1688— Sir Will Hicks, Kt. and Bart., gives the large silver 

Flaggon for the Comm. 



44 



HISTORY OF LETTOmiONE. 



A few additional quotations not contained 
In the two before^named books. 

1659 — For money paid Goodman Mason to 
give a poor woman that lay in the 

streets 2 nights 5s. o 

Benting Parish Bounds and several such entries. 
1660— For a dinner for the gent : & bread & beer 

for the boyes at the Green Man . , 218 o 

The great Plague.— Two following similar items. 
1665— Item paied the bearers and other charges 
touching the burial of Richd. Narrington 
dying of the distemper . . . • i 4 10 

The Fire of London. 
1666 — ^To monye given to severall that were in 
distress after the fier, and that Mr. Cop 

did recommend 140 

Perambulation of the Parish. 
1667 — The procession dinner flfbr the parish at the 

Green Man was spent 5100 

and a bottle of Sacke flfor me . . . . 20 

1675 — ffor a sheet to wind up a traveller that dyed 

at Scraggs house and buried at Layton 2 o 

1683 — Paid for nursing Cromps great girl one 

month 80 

Paid for a pair of shooes and stockings for 

the great girl . . • • . . . . 36 

Paid Mr. Perry of Wanstead with Cromps' 

great girl to be his apprentice . . ..300 
Also in 1735; 
1708 — For a new pare of stocks at laytonstone. * 3 o o 

For 60 hedge hogs 100 

Several such entries. 
1 7 10 — Paid for a woman in fitts at Latenstone . . 6 6 

171 7 — Paid for mending Mary Ponds shoes at 

severall times . . . , . . . . 7 

Deaths at the Bell and Plough & Harrow are also recorded. 

1 7 18 — For getting a woman away that lay sick 

at the Bell, Laytonstone . . . . 50 



EXTRACTS, 



45 



Several sttch entries. 

1720— Paid for one shirt for William Preston .. 6 6 

Paid for 2 pairs of stockings for ditto . . 46 

Paid for a peruke for ditto 36 

Seven others relieved also later on. 

1724 — Given to three poore slaves . . . . 16 

1728 — Payd to carrying old Gutteridge to Church 4 o 
1733 — Pd. Mr. Woods for burying a man from 

the Watch House 156 

Paid to a crew of sailors rescued from the 

Algereins 50 

1736— Expenses getting a poor woman out of the 

Parish that was going to drown herself i o 

1 740 — Beck Mitten to fetch hir stays out of pawn 3 6 
1788— Joseph Norville, Churchyard Umbrella . . i 10 o 

1792— For killing two mad dogs 10 o 

Probably present Verger's ancestor. 

1795 — ^Joseph Markby for two spring curtains 

and repairing pulpit hanging . . ..1060 
1814 — \ lb. of wax candles 22 

These quotations which mainly relate to Leyton 
as a whole, might be largely added to, but will pro- 
bably amply meet the present purpose and if carried 
further might become tedious; subsequent quota- 
tions will therefore, have special relation to Leyton- 
stone and the progress of the Church therein. 

Leytonstone as a Village. 

IT does not appear that, until the end of the reign 
of George I., or early in that of George II., any 
attempt at holding organised Church services was 
made in Leytonstone, though the difficulty of attend- 
ing those at Leyton Parish Church must have been 
very great, even under the most favorable circum- 
stances of weather. There was probably no direct 
communication, except by field paths, until long after 



^5 HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE. 

that time, as may be inferred from the fact that in 
1737 it was desired by the inhabitants of Ley ton- 
stone : " That a survey be made, by order of vestry, 
of the antient footpaths leading from thence to the 
church (Leyton), that the right of the antient foot- 
paths be ascertained, that the inhabitants of Leyton- 
stone may not lose their antient paths to the church." 

Even well within the recollection of the present 
writer, Fairlop Road was scarcely worthy of the 
name of a road at all, being of a most primitive 
char^ter, with a mere sprinkling of houses at the 
Leytonstone end, and the rest only fields. Even the 
main road from Stratford was at the same compara- 
tively recent time simply a country road, having a 
double row of trees, and bounded by hedges and 
ditches, fields and market gardens, nearly throughout 
its whole length, except where broken by fine old 
mansions standing in extensive grounds, with here 
and there a few small houses, cottages, turnpike 
gates, and old inns, until the little village of Leyton- 
stone was reached. The village itself, although it 
contained many fine residences, mainly consisted 
of old-fashioned wooden houses and cottages, with 
wooden railings in front ; such, for instance, as those 
already referred to, and the old " Red Lion " and its 
contiguous cottages, which were not long since de- 
molished to make way for the handsome row of 
buildings which now replaces them. 

Matters in the 17th, and even in the i8th centu- 
ries, must have been very much more primitive ; 
wheeled conveyance very scarce, horseback and walk- 
ing practically the only means of communication. 
Such roads as existed were quite unlighted, and foot- 
pads and highwaymen by no means rare in these 
parts. 



Pepys, in his Diary ^ 28th February, 1689, com- 
pares the way from Epping to a " kennel all the 
way ;" he also gives the previously quoted amusing 
and rather disparaging account of his dining with 
Sir William Hickes, Ranger of the Forest, at his 
country seat, ** Ruckholts " or " Rookwood," at Lay- 
ton in Essex, where he entertained King Charles IL 
after hunting (see reference to Royal Lodge). He 
also writes of highwaymen at Holloway Down. 

An extract from the Times of about 100 years 
ago was recently quoted in one of the newspapers, 
relating an attack by highwaymen at the High 
Stone. 

The parish register, 1746, contains a note (here- 
inbefore quoted) concerning a coroner's inquest for 
a highwayman shot. 

There are many other notes as to highwaymen, 
some who made their quarters at Snaresbrook, the 
neighbourhood of Leytonstone, and in fact the whole 
district for many miles around, seems to have been 
in special favour with them, no doubt mainly in con- 
sequence of the contiguity of the Forest, and the 
comparative security of the hiding places which the 
miles upon miles of its dense woods so readily 
afforded. 

The notorious Dick Turpin was well known in 
the district (some of his relatives are said to have 
been inhabitants of Chigwell, the name even now 
occurs there), and he is said to have made constant 
use of "Turpin's Cave," at High Beach, near 
Loughton. 

The following is quoted by the Leytonstone 
Express and Independenty in 1902 : — 



48 HJSTOR Y OF LE YT0NS70NE, 

FOR THE CAPTURE OF EVIL DOERS: 

<* The following is the text of another hundred year old handbill which 
will be read with interest by residents in this neighbourhood. 

HOUSEBREAKING, &c. 



Whereas a Subscription has been entered into by 
the Gentlemen residing in the Parishes of Waltham- 
stoWf Leyton^ JFcmstead, and TFoodford, in the County 
of Essex J for paying Rewards for the apprehending 
Persons who shall be guilty of Bwrglaries^ Highway 
Bobberies^ aud other Felonies^ within any of the 
said Parishes. 

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, 

That the following REWARDS will be paid by the 

Treasurer of the Subscription^ viz. 

For apprehending every person who shall break into 

the Dwelling-house of any Subscriber, within any 

of the Four above-mentioned Parishes TWENTY POUNDS. 

For apprehending every Highwayman, Footpad or 
other Person, who shall commit any Robbery on 
the Highway, or shall feloniously stop, with an 
Intent to rob, any Person or Persons within any 
of the said Parishes TWELVE POUNDS. 

For apprehending any Person who shall steal any 
Horse, Mare, Chit, Sheep, Cattle, or other Matter 
or Thing of the Value of Twenty Shillings, being 
the property of a Subscriber, from any part of 
his or her Premises, or from any Forest or Com- 
mon within any of the said Four Parishes SIX POUNDS. 

For apprehending every Person who shall commit any 
Theft or Robbeiy on the Premises of any Sub- 
scriber, within any of the said Four Puishes, 
being of less Value than Twenty Shillings ; or 
shall steal any FRUIT, POULTRY, LINEN, 
TOOLS, LEAD, IRON, GLASS, GATES or GATE 
HINGES, PALES or FENCES, the property of a 
Subscriber, within any of the said Four P&rishes FORTY SHILLINGS. 

The whole of this last Reward to be paid on Commitment of the Offender 
to Gaol ; and One third of the other Rewards to be paid on Com- 
mitment, and Two-thirds on Conyiotion. And farther, that all 
Ezpenoes attending the Prosecution of anj Persons guilty of any 
of the Offences above described, will be paid out of this Subscrip- 
tion, not exceeding Three Pounds for each Person prosecuted ; in 
all cases where the Expenoes shall not be allowed by the County. 
Application, for the Recovery of Rewards, to be made to Mr Josbph 
Mabkbt, of Leytonstone, Collar maker, High Constable of the Hun- 
dred of Beoontree. 




First Cburcb In Leytoastone, now the "Assembly Rooms, 




Church of St. John Baptist, when first built (from an old En-^raving). 



STATISTICS. 



49 



The following statistics aptly illustrate the phe- 
nomenal rapidity with which Leyton and Leyton- 
stone (the total population of which, about the time 
of building St. John's, was about 3,400, and the total 
rateable value in 1825 appears to have been con- 
siderably under ;f8,ooo) have developed, until their 
joint population cannot now be less than 120,000, 
probably more : — 



Jonrr Fofuiation. No. 


180I - - 


2,519 


181I - - 


3,162 


182I - - 


3,374 


183I - - 


3,323 


184I - - 


3,274 


185I - - 


3,901 


1861 - - 


4,794 


1871 - - 


10,394 


1881 - - 


27,068 


189I - 


63,106 


I90I - 


98,912 



Rateable Value. £ 
1873 . - 50,390 
1881 - - 125,000 
1885 . - 160,398 
1889 - - 209,946 
1894 - . 243,963 
1903 (estimated) 416,880 



It will thus be seen that, although during con- 
siderably more than the first half of the 19th century 
the increase of population was very slow, in fact, for 
many years at a standstill, a wonderfully rapid 
change then took place, and during the last thirty 
years the population increased nearly ten times, and 
the rateable value in nearly the same proportion ; in 
fact, during the century the population became forty 
times as large as that with which the century began, 
and the rateable value increased in a very much 
greater proportion even than that. Houses are still 
being built at the rate of about 1,000 annually. 

£ 



^ -^sus^ 



HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE, 

It may be noted that at a still earlier period, 
viz., in 1775, the parish of Ley ton was " assessed, 
rated and taxed by the churchwardens and inhabi- 
tants," and for this purpose was divided as follows: — 

^^^- District. 

1,004 - In the vil. of Leyton - 
186 - Capport {qy. Capworth) Street 
606 - From Le Marke to Felybrigges 
{qy. Fillebrook) and Ruckholt 
1,313 - The Hamlet of Leytonstone - 21 
463 - The Forest - - - 
162 - Knott^s Green - - 
35 - Knight's Green - - 
75 - Out Dwellers - - 



ASSKSSICKNT. 

£ s. d. 
16 14 8 


3 


2 





10 


2 





21 


17 


8 


7 


14 


4 


2 


14 








II 


8 


I 


• 5 







CHAPTER IV. 

Early Church Services 
In Leytonstone. 

Extracts from original documents and letters giving detailed infor- 
mation as to the persistent steps taken to establish Services — 
The great opposition and difficulties encountered — The ultimate 
success of the undertaking, and the building of the little Chapel 
and its subsequent enlargement. 

I HE first distinct notice of a movement 
towards holding Divine Service in a special 
building in Leytonstone may be gathered 
from an extensive series of letters and 
papers commencing about 1748. There is a copy of 
a letter unsigned and undated, but evidently from 
Rev. — Dubordieu, Vicar of Leyton, to Mr. Gansell 
(who built the splendid mansion, The Grange, in 
Leyton, now demolished), his patron, and the then 
possessor of two-thirds of the Manor of Leyton, 
stating that eight or nine months before, Mr. Dun- 
ster and Mr. Lewis (**who now possesses the Ows- 
ley's estate," viz., Walwood,) had called upon him 
and laid before him a project for such a building and 
service, and that warm arguments had resulted. He 
had told them that he considered ''there could be 
no occasion for such a chapel where the gentry all 
kept coaches, and where the tradesmen, farmers and 
£ 2 



52 HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE, 

servants were none of them more than a mile-and-a- 
half from the Church," that Walthamstow and West 
Ham are more populous and yet are contented with 
the mother Church. He also expressed very strong 
doubts as to the possibility of properly securing 
Vicar's dues, Easter offerings, and paying outgoings. 
These were evidently special points, other objections 
were stated, ** The debate grew warm on both sides, 
and at last Mr. Dunster said that * neither Bishop, 
Patron, nor Vicar, could hinder their building a 
meeting.' I confess this struck me the more because 
three of the capital houses at Leyton Stone are 
inhabited by dissenters or persons leaning that way ; 
viz., Mr. Watson, a rigid Presbyterian, in the house 
late Mrs. Smith's; Mr. Loubier, a French merchant, 
late Mr. Dunster's, who has gone into Mr. Bosan- 
quet's house in the lane, and Mr. Meighin, a Dutch 
merchant, late Mr. Cooke's" (probably Park House). 
The letter is full of apologies for not previously de- 
tailing the foregoing to Mr. Gansell (clearly there 
must have been strong previous discussions and ob- 
jections), and he states, " I never believed this project 
could ever be brought to bear — it appeared to me 
impossible to raise money even sufficient for the 
fabric, among the few families that are able to con- 
tribute in Leytonstone, and I know that none on this 
side of the parish would give a farthing ; neither was 
I singular in this opinion, everybody that spoke of it 
treated it as a wild, impracticable scheme that would 
come to nothing. I continued in this delusion till I 
read in the papers that the foundation was laid." He 
concludes a very long letter with, " therefore I hope 
that you will abate somewhat of your resentment 
and have kinder thoughts of, yours, &c.'' The inten- 
sity of Mr. GanselPs bitter opposition is further 



PROPOSED CHAPEL, ^^ 

shown by a letter from Mr. Dubordieu (1748-9) 
apparently to Mr. Dunster, in which he says, * it is 
true Mr. Gansell has, for having been as he thought 
too favourable to you, used me in a manner which 
may be thought to cancell all obligations ; but 
though I owed him no obligations, yet I owe so 
much to myself as not to act a part that must make 
me the horror of heaven and earth. To be short, 
I have hitherto observed an exact neutrality between 
you and my patron, and it is my firm purpose to 
continue to do so." 

In spite, however, of the violent opposition of 
Mr. Gansell, and apparently to some extent that of 
the Vicar also, Mr. Dunster and his friends per- 
sistently pressed forward to eventual success. 

A letter was written by Mr, Dunster to Mr. 
Humberston (31st August, 1748), " making proposals 
for the erection of a chapel in the village of Ley ton- 
stone, during the time when Rev. — Dubordieu was 
Vicar of Ley ton," on the plea that *' the inhabitants 
in general find it verj^ inconvenient, and many utterly 
impossible, for them to resort thither (Ley ton), at 
least, so frequently as they ought for ye public wor- 
ship of God." " Several well-disposed persons have 
long wished that a chapel for the performance of 
Divine Worship was erected in or near the same." 
He also stated that certain influential inhabitants 
agreed to subscribe towards that object, on condition 
that the Vicar and his successors provided an officia- 
ting minister, and that a reasonable stipend be paid 
for that service, to be raised by pew rents and other 
means ; that it should be in the hands of five of the 
principal inhabitants, as trustees, to be nominated ; 
vacancies in the Trust to be from time to time filled 
up by seatholders, and contributors to the amount of 



54 HI8T0RT OF LEYTONBTONB. 

20/- per annum. He further writes, *' if the affair is 
put in execution it swill be to the benefit of the Vicar, 
who is to supply the chapel upon a stipend to be 
settled, proportionable at least to ye additional attend- 
ance. Mr. Dubordieu, before we set forward, was 
shew'd the contents of the writing, to which he made 
no objection.'' 

No opposition was allowed to deter the carrying 
out of the project, and Deodatus Staverton agreed 
(8th June, 1748) with David Lewis ''to let his interest 
in a piece of ground, part of the premises held by 
him of the Poor of Bourne, intended for building 
a chapel in Layton Stone, at the same rate as the 
trustees of the said Poor of Bourne shall agree to 
let the same." 

There is also a Minute referring to a lease made 
22nd July, 1748, ''between Thos. TroUope, of Bourne, 
in the Co. of Lincoln, and Robt. Hotchkin, of the 
first part ; and the Rev. Wm. t)odd, Messrs. Wm. 
Dunster, Dd. Lewis, Saml. Bosanquet, and Jas. 
Henshaw, of a certain piece of land containing 
i rood, 6 yards and 5 feet, whereon was to be built 
or erected a chapel for the performance of Divine 
Service at Leytonstone, and for no other use, from 
the Feast of St. Michael the Archangel, in the year 
1758, for the term of 99 years, for the yearly rent 
of 5s." 

The little chapel was built and ready for use by 
26th April, 1749, but evidently the Vicar still would 
take no part in holding services therein, as is shown 
by a letter from Mr. Dunster to him, in which he 
says, " as you and the Rev. Capon have declined 
performing any duty in the chapel at Leytonstone, 
the subscribers pray your permission that Divine 
Service may be performed therein, when we can be 



PROPOSED CHAPEL, 55 

SO happy as to have at least the appearance of re- 
ligion among us." As the Vicar held aloof, service 
was commenced by a Mr. Carter (possibly the lec- 
turer named in the Parish Register, 1709), but the 
mode of his appointment is not clear, though the 
tacit acquiescence of the Vicar may be inferred from 
a paragraph in another letter ; but the arrangement 
was still violently opposed by Mr. Gansell, as is evi- 
denced by a letter (gth September, 1750,) from Mr. 
Dunster to the Vicar, stating that citation had been 
issued by the Proctor against Mr. Carter, at the in- 
stigation of Mr. Gansell, for officiating in an un- 
licensed chapel, service having been performed for 
sixteen months, from July, 1749, and fully attended, 
*' many that before made no difference of Sunday " 
attending. *' We have passed 2 Sundays without 
Divine service, my horses, as well as my neighbours', 
being sick, I could not get to Ley ton." 

It clearly appears that Mr. GanselPs oppositions 
temporarily succeeded, as service had evidently not 
been resumed to this date (29th November, 1750). 
[See letter from Mr. Dunster 'to the Vicar. ^ Mr. Dun- 
ster having interviewed the Bishop of London, cer- 
tain proposals were made, and apparently approved, 
as to a person being appointed by the Vicar and 
licensed by the Bishop ; but it would appear from 
other sources that service was not resumed till 1754. 
There is, however, in the Leyton Public Library, 
a copy of a sermon ''preached in Lay ton Stone 
Chapel, 1st Sept., 1754, being the Sunday after the in- 
terment of Mrs. Ann Dunster, by Wm. Totton, M.A., 
a Fellow of St. John's College, Cambridge. — London : 
printed by White & Lewis in Birchin Lane, Lom- 
bard Street, 1754.'' It is inscribed to "my much 
honoured friends, Mr. and Mrs. Bosanquet, Miss 



j^ HISTOR y OF LR YT0NS70NE, 

Bosanquets, and Miss Jacksons, with all respect and 
gratitude." The preacher also refers to the recent 
death of Mr. Dunster; therefore, services had evi- 
dently recommenced, and, so far as can be gathered, 
they were then continued uninterruptedly, and with 
increased prosperity. 

On 26th February, 18 16, a meeting was called 
to make " some arrangements to provide a residence 
among us of a respectable clergyman ;" and there 
being only one surviving trustee, Mr. Lear, a com- 
mittee wais appointed, consisting of Messrs. Cotton, 
Davis, Bosanquet, Old, and Mason, to obtain Mr. 
Lear's concurrence in calling a meeting of pew- 
renters in the Chapel for the purpose of appointing 
trustees to fill up the four vacancies in the chapel 
trust. The meeting of pew-renters was held 17th 
March, 18 16, and Messrs. Bosanquet, Old, Coope, 
and Davis unanimously appointed ; the Vicar, Mr. 
Laprimaudaye, having previously advised that the 
original deed expressed that every person paying 
20S. per annum was competent to elect. 

At a meeting of trustees (20th March, 1816), a 
deficit in chapel accounts, oi£'iS 13s. 8d., was wiped 
out by the Treasurer, Mr. Bosanquet, and a grant of 
£21 made to Rev. C. H. Laprimaudaye, for the ser- 
vices of himself and curate. 

At a meeting of the trustees (30th May, 18 18), 
questions as to the enlargement of the chapel, and 
having the sacrament administered, were discussed, 
evidently after being previously submitted to Mr. 
John Pardoe, in whom the advowson of Leyton was 
vested. In explanation, it may be noted that one- 
third of the Manor of Leyton was sold, in 1703, 
to David Gansell, Esq., who, in 1709, purchased 
another one-third, leaving both to his heirs, who, in 



ENLARGEMMNT OF THE CHAPEL, ^j 

1783, sold them to John Pardoe, Esq., one' of the 
directors of the Honble. East India Company/and 
in 1794 he purchased the other share. Thus, in 
181 1, the whole manor descended to his grandson, 
the above-named Mr. John Pardoe, and at that date 
the advowson was vested in him solely. [In 1800, he 
instituted Rev. Mr. Laprimaudaye to the living of 
Leyton.] His descendant, Rev. John Pardoe, Rec- 
tor of Graveley, who probably officiated at St. John's 
during 184 1-4, died in 1892, leaving an eleven-year- 
old son, who is the present Lord of the Manor. 

Mr. Pardoe (5 July, 1818,) wrote Mr. Laprimau- 
daye witholding his consent, but stating some con- 
ditions under which he might probably consent 
This letter was read at a meeting of trustees (9 Aug., 
18 1 8), whereupon certain proposals were formu- 
lated for putting the chapel arrangements on a better 
footing without interfering with the position of the 
patron and Vicar, these resolutions were forwarded to 
Mr. Pardoe. At a further meeting (18 Oct., 1818,) 
various propositions based upon the foregoing and 
the patron's suggested conditions were discussed, but 
one of the questions which had been raised, viz., as 
to the purchase of the freehold, was deferred for fu- 
ture consideration as the lease would not expire until 
1858. It was agreed that the chapel should be so 
enlarged and additions made to the seating accom- 
modation and consequent income as to produce a 
stipend to the minister of not less than ;^I20, casual 
repairs to be effected out of the annual receipts cal- 
culated at ;^i6o, extraordinary repairs to be provided 
for by the pew-renters. 

An important meeting attended by the Arch- 
deacon, Patron, Vicar and trustees was held at 
Leyton Vicarage, 8 Dec, 1818, when the necessity Jor 



gg HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE, 

the proposed enlargement and permission for admin- 
istration of Sacrament was strongly urged by the 
trustees, and after many points, ecclesiastical and 
otherwise, were fully discussed, the Archdeacon 
promised to lay the whole question before the Bishop, 
and to advocate his consenting to the views of the 
Trustees being acted upon. During the discussion it 
was urged that the building had been used with great 
advantage as a Chapel of Ease for upwards of 50 
years, that the steps now advocated were urgently 
needed to provide against the deficiency of room in 
Leyton Parish Church, and the encouragement of 
non-attendance and dissent due to its distance and 
the difficulty of reaching it. The Archdeacon's 
opinion, that it would not be regular to have the pro- 
posed table in the Chapel without its being consecra- 
ted, and that for that purpose it was necessary to 
obtain the freehold, was met by the argument of want 
of funds, and the fact of possession being vested in 
the Parish of Bourn. The difficulties and objections 
were evidently being gradually overcome, and at a 
meeting of Trustees (23 Jan., 1819,) a subscription 
list for the enlargement was opened, and ;^i44 los. 
was subscribed in the room. 

At a meeting of Trustees (13 March, 1819), Mr. 
Bosanquet reported that the Vicar concurred in the 
proposed alterations, Mr. Cotton, submitted sketch 
plans of modifications and new buildings by which 
130 additional seats for adults were provided, making 
the total accommodation for 580, including children, 
240 being free seats. Mr. Cotton offered the services 
of his architect and all plans and superintendence 
gratis, and his offer was gladly accepted. 

It was announced that the Vicar (2 May, 1819.) 
had received the Bishop's authorization to proceed, 



RS-OPIBNING OF GHAPBL. j^ 

but expressing regret that the enlargement was not 
carried to a greater extent ; it was reported that 
plans had been submitted to the Bishop and the 
Vicar, a subscription list amounting to about ;f 480 
was read, and it was agreed to take steps for obtain- 
ing tenders and to call in promised subscriptions. 
The Trustees (10 May, 18 19), agreed that not less 
than /300 should be invested in the public funds as 
an endowment. Dr. Sampson (4 July, 1819,) was 
named as having heretofore received 80 guineas per 
annum, which recently was augumented by a collec- 
tion of about ;f40 per annum. On a report (18 July, 
1819,) that about ;f8oo had been paid in, it was agreed 
to issue invitations to tender. (3 Aug., 18 19). The 
Vicar's suggestion that the salary for the officiating 
minister should be named in the deed at 120 guineas, 
not /'120, was agreed to, and D. Fordham's tender, 
;f826, was accepted, his account afterwards amounted 
to ;f928 IIS. id. On 13 Dec, 1819, a meeting was 
held to arrange the re-distribution of seats, and the 
Chapel was re-opened, and divine service performed 
both morning and evening by Rev. Dr. Sampson, on 
23rd January, 1820. 

(23 Feb., 1820). Dr. Sampson administered 
the Sacrament for the first time in the Chapel to 35 
communicants, the communion plate (silver) con- 
sisted of a large flagon, two chalices, i large plate 
and I paten (supposed to have originally belonged to 
Queen Caroline's Chapel, the whole being the gift of 
the late Mrs. Elizabeth Bosanquet). 

The Chapel thus completed is the building now 
known as the Assembly Rooms, situated on the 
west side of the High Road, opposite what is now 
Barclay Road. 



6o HISTOR y OF LE YTONSTONB. 

(31 July, 1820.) Robert Briscoe was elected 
Trustee in place of Mr. Lear, deceased. 

(28 July, 1823.) Wm. Cotton was elected 
Trustee in place of R. Briscoe, deceased. 

(10 Oct., 1828.) Trustees agreed to propositions 
contained in a letter from the Bourne Charity Trus- 
tees, re pulling down a wall, cancelling present lease, 
and renewing for 21 years upon payment of a pre- 
mium of ;f8o as a portion of fines hitherto paid by 
the Bourne Charity, with a rent of £^ per annum for 
the chapel, and an additional rent of £5 for the 
school. In the course of a very few years, steps 
were evidently taken to supersede the old building 
by a permanent new one. There is little more of 
interest to be extracted with regard to the old chapel, 
except that at a later period (about 18 Feb., 1835), 
the trustees appointed Messrs. Michael Charrington, 
Jacob Sims and Thomas Brooks, to replace those 
trustees, retired from the parish, in all matters re- 
lating to the old chapel, two schools and appendages, 
and that arrangements were in progress (30 May, 
1835), ^^^ converting the chapel into schools, for 
which permission was given in July, 1835, and erect- 
ing two dwelling houses for master and mistress ; the 
old schools and old coach house were proposed to be 
removed. 

There is in the wall of the first building a stone 
bearing a long inscription in memory of Wm. Dunster, 
*'the principal founder of the chapel" (dated 1749), 
and Mary, his wife, and also naming Samuel Bosan- 
quet ; but it is partly built in by the second portion 
of the building, and is otherwise almost undecipher- 
able. 

A striking, and perhaps amusing, commeut on 
the persevering effort, detailed in the foregoing is 



CLOSE OF RECORD OF CHAPEL. g, 

that, in advocating the proposed enlargement of 
Leyton Parish Church, in 1822, " one of the oldest 
inhabitants of Leyton " (doubtless Mr. Joseph Cot- 
ton), quotes the exertions of Leytonstonians with 
reference to their chapel, and offers a contribution 
of £1,000. 

This doses the record of the old building being 
used as a chapel ; the new chapel, or, as we now 
know it, the ** Church of St, John Baptist," having 
meanwhile been erected and consecrated. 




CHAPTER V. 

The Church of St. John Baptist. 
Commencement and Completion. 

Subscriptions, Tenders for Building, modifications, Building and 
Consecration of the original Church — Assignment of an Eccle- 
siastical District Parish — ^and various minor items of informa- 
tion. 

JE now take up the history of the present 
Church of St. John Baptist. A propo- 
sition to supersede the old building by 
erecting a new permanent 'Xhapel," with 
contiguous burial ground, was, about 1829-30, taking 
tangible shape. In July, 1830, the Vicar of Leyton, 
Rev. C. H. Laprimaudaye, issued an address on the 
subject, in which he says : " It has long been to me 
a subject of deep regret, that there exists in a part 
of this parish a lamentable deficiency in the means 
of celebrating the public worship of Almighty God, 
with that decency and solemnity with which such 
services ought to be performed. It probably is not 
known to all of you, that in consequence of its 
having been erected on leasehold ground, the present 
Chapel, though it has been licensed for Divine Ser- 
vice by the Bishop, is not and cannot be consecrated 
as a place of worship, agreeably to the canons of 




BUILDING OP ST. J0HIP8. 53 

our Established Church ;" but '* when I consider the 
insecure and decaying condition of the edifice, the 
want of devotional character in its appearance, and 
the inadequate accommodation which it offers to the 
labouring classes, I feel most earnestly desirous to 
invite your attention to the subject." He also speaks 
of the necessity of a building *' adequate to the 
wants of a population of i,6oo souls, one half of the 
parish." While asking for subscriptions, his address 
stated that a site and :^i,ooo were already promised. 

On 1st August, 1830, a committee was appointed 
to solicit subscriptions ; and, at a meeting at Leyton 
Vicarage (23rd October, 1830), a committee was 
appointed to receive subscriptions and *' take such 
measures as are necessary for carrying into complete 
effect the proposed undertaking, by erecting the 
Chapel." A subscription list was opened, and a 
number of large amounts subscribed, including the 
following : — Vicar of Leyton, Rev. C. H. Laprimau- 
daye, ;^i5o; Mr. W. Cotton, ;^6oo; Mr. Davis, ;^6oo; 
&c. A grant of ;^5oo was also afterwards made by 
the Society for Promoting the Building of Churches 
and Chapels ; and a voluntary rate for enclosing the 
burial ground produced ;f3o8 12s. 6d. On the 30th 
October of the same year, a subscription list was 
published, amounting to ;^2,353 2s. 

Dec, 1830. Mr. Blore, an eminent architect, 
was consulted as to the intended building ; he pre- 
pared plans which, after alteration and revision, were 
decided upon. 

Feb., 1831. Messrs. Curtis, Dean & Crow in- 
vited to tender, but the tenders were so much above 
the estimate, that they were referred back for modifi- 
cation, particularly as to kind of materials and con- 
struction of the tower. Satisfactory arrangements 



64 HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE. 

were finally arrived at (3 May, 1832), and it was re- 
solved to sign contract with Messrs. Curtis, imme- 
diately on completion of conveyance of the land for 
which Mr. Cotton, of Walwood, reported that he had 
settled terms of purchase. The land consisted of 
about two acres of a field, held copyhold by Miss 
Sanson (evidently then insane) and is described in 
the documents as bounded on the south by the turn- 
pike road from London to Wanstead; S.W. by a 
lane called Grove Green Lane or PuUin's Lane; 
N.W. and N.E. by land belonging to Elizabeth 
Sanson, spinster. After much negociation and the 
overcoming of many difficulties as to title, &c., Mr. 
Cotton finally purchased the ground, got Mr. Long 
Wellesley, the Lord of the Manor to enfranchise it, 
paid out of his own pocket the purchase money and 
all fees, and conveyed it by deed to H.M. Com- 
missioners for Church Building, &c. (16 June, 1832). 

It may be mentioned here that at an earlier 
date Mr. Davis had offered to give for the purpose a 
plot of freehold land, but its position not being 
considered eligible, the above-named negociations 
were undertaken, and Mr. Davis later on apparently 
presented the bells instead. The plot of land offered 
by Mr. Davis (who then resided in the house now 
known as ** The Pastures," situated in Davis's Lane, 
which derives its name from him), was about the 
same site as that on which the Wesleyan Chapel in 
the High Road now stands, and he purposed making 
a private path from his house to the church through 
his own grounds. 

The first stone was laid (20 July, 1832) by the 
Vicar, the Rev. C. H. Laprimaudaye, assisted by the 
Architect, tlje Curate of Leyton, the Curate of 
Leytonstone, Rev. E. C. Birch, the Patron of the 



MXTRACra. 5- 

Living, the Churchwardens of Leyton, and a number 
of subscribers and inhabitants, a special form of 
service prepared by the Vicar being used. Messrs. 
Davis and Cotton were at the same time requested 
to sign the contract with Messrs. Curtis; and the 
workmen made a subscription among themselves 
towards the cost. 

19 Dec, 1832. Architect submitted to Commit- 
tee drawings of proposed gates and iron coping, also 
sketch of proposed terrace. Two instalments of ;f8oo 
each were reported as paid to contractors, and the 
Committee resolved (20 July, 1833,) that the building 
of the wall to enclose the proposed burial ground be 
proceeded with, and paid for out of the general 
subscriptions. 

2 Sept., 1833. The Committee resolved that 
the inhabitants of Leytonstone be now informed 
that the pews may now be selected according to 
amount of donations and length of residence in the 
village, and the collector was authorised to receive 
half a year's rents. Rev. C. H. Laprimaudaye named 
Mr. Davis as his chapelwarden. 

The new chapel and burial ground were conse- 
crated and dedicated by the Bishop of London, Dr. 
Blomfield (31 Oct., 1833) ; " the Vicar of Leyton, 
Rev. C. H. Laprimaudaye, Messrs. W. Hall and Saml. 
Edenborough, Churchwardens of Leyton, Mr. Jno. 
Pardoe, Patron, Messrs. Wm. Cotton, Wm. Davis 
and divers others, parishioners of the said parish, 
conducting him in the vestry room of the said 
Chapel, which was stated to have been erected by 
voluntary subscriptions of the inhabitants and others, 
aided by a donation from the Incorporated Society 
for promoting the enlargement, building and repairing 
of Churches and Chapels, and with the consent of 



66 HiaTOBT OF LfYTO^STONIS. 

the said Commissioners." The enclosure of jtjie 
ground by brick walls and iron railings was at the 
time well forward, and appears to have been completed 
about the end of that year. The churchyard front- 
age was altered just seventy years afterwards. The 
cost of the chapel (church) apart from gifts, was 
£4,710 128. 8d,, and the cost of enclosing, levelling 
and making up the burial ground was ;^905 3s. 6d. 

The body of the building as then completed was 
about the same as at present, up to the line of the 
east wall ; but the three eastern arches were much 
smaller, the organ and the choir seats were all in the 
body of the church, the pews were in the old style 
enclosed with doors, the chancel was so small that it 
only contained the communion table and a couple of 
clergy chairs, and the vestry was also extremely small ; 
but no doubt the church as it then was, provided 
ample accommodation for the still by no means large 
village congregation, in considerable proportion con- 
sisting of persons of good standing, inhabitants of 
the many surfounding fine mansions. 

Little could those who with so much care pro- 
vided the first permanent Church — and still less those 
whose earnest persistence in face of continual oppo- 
sition and unlooked for difficulty, resulting at last in 
the successful inauguration of the small beginnings 
of the work — at all realise in imagination its later 
development in the overflowing congregations which 
week by week crowd the still further enlarged church, 
as well as its daughter churches. 

The sparseness of the population at the time, 
and its extremely rapid increase may be readily 
gathered from a return on a printed form, apparently 
made when applying for the Church Commissioners* 
Grant, in which occur the following entries : "Parish 



A88I0NMENT OF PARISH. 5 j 

of St. Mar}', Leyton, Essex, diocese London, popu- 
lation at last census 3,374, including the Hamlet of 
Leytonstone, which has never been considered as 
forming a separate division. 

The chapel about to be consecrated will have 
accommodation for about 600 ; income to the minis- 
ter of the (Leyton) Church, vicarial dues, &c. , under 
;f40o per annum ; repairs done by the parish. In- 
come to minister of ** Chapel" ;^I26, arising from pew 
rents calculated at £189 per annum ; repairs proposed 
from surplus pew rents (no mention is made as to 
how any other expenses are to be met). According to 
the new arrangement there will be population of 1,778 
within i^ miles of the church (Leyton) and a popu- 
lation of 1,596 within a mile of the chapel- Marriages, 
baptisms and burials performed at the church, 
baptisms and burials proposed to be performed at 
the chapel." 

Assignment of an Ecclesiastical 
District Parish. 

SERVICE was no doubt held in the new building 
as being only a Chapel of Ease to Leyton, until, 
at the Court of Buckingham Palace (3rd Feb., 1845), 
St. John Baptist, Leytonstone, had an ecclesiastical 
parish assigned, as announced in the London Gazette^ 
of nth Feb., 1845. According to minutes of the 
Vestry Meeting, 25th May, 1854, the District 
Parish thus assigned, consisted of ** That portion of 
the parish (Leyton) to the south-east of Walthamstow 
to the east of the brook running across the parish 
and Green Grove Lane, and to the north-east of 
Union Lane." This has since been more than once 
modified to meet altered circumstances. Later, 
28th April, 1848, there was a notification from the 
F 2 



5g HiaWR'f OF LSTTONSTONS. 

Bishop of the death of the Incumbent of Leyton, 
apparently sanctioning banns, marriages, baptisms, 
burials and churchings, from that time as a separate 
parish. 

par0Ona0C. — a movement to raise funds for 
building a parsonage was set on foot in 1844, a dona- 
tion of ;^ioo from the Barking Church Union, and 
one of £200 from Queen Anne s Bounty were pro- 
mised on certain conditions; but there is little in- 
formation as to the movement until at a meeting of 
the subscribers (28th Feb., 1856), it was resolved 
that " the land purchased for the site be forthwith 
fenced off and enfranchised, and the building of the 
house by contract be proceeded with, under the 
superintendence of Mr. Hawkins', architect." Rev. 
H. H. Evans, Mr. Cotton, and the churchwardens — 
Messrs. Harvey and Buxton were appointed as a 
Committee, and the house was at once built (contract 
price ;^i»355) and continued in use until 1894, when 
it was sold, and a new and more commodious vicarage 
built facing the Bushwood. 

Until about 1887, when projects for restoration 
and enlargement of St. John's begun to take shape, 
there is little to record respecting the building except- 
ing that one of the pinnacles of the tower was des- 
troyed by a terrible storm, and a considerable amount 
of damage done to the roof, &c. The interest in the 
matter was so universal, that within a very few days 
the sum required for repairs was raised, noncon- 
formists kindly and substantially contributing. 

In 1857, gas was first introduced into Leyton- 
stone, the church was the second building in the 
village to be so lighted, the " Red Lion " being the 
first. Electric Light was first installed in the Bor- 
ough on the 8th Sept., 1898. 



CHURCHWABDBN BBNBFACT0B8, 5q 

The clock in front of the gallery was* presented 
by Mr. Dicker, when he was churchwarden ; it was 
shortly afterwards stolen, and the thief unknowingly 
took it to the premises of the donor and attempted 
to sell it. One of the employes, however, at once re- 
cognised the clock and the thief was detained and 
punished. 

At a Harvest Festival (23rd Oct., 1875), the 
choir wore surplices for the first time. 

31 Oct, 1883. Exactly 50 years after the date 
of consecration by Dr. Blomfield, then Bishop of 
London, a special Jubilee Service was held in the 
evening, when the sermon was preached by his son, 
the Right Rev. Dr. Blomfield, Bishop of Colchester. 

An Order in Council was issued (9 Sept., 1884,) 
to discontinue burials in the churchyard, except in 
graves, vaults and walled graves now existing, and 
under certain specified conditions and stringent rules. 

During the last Ordnance Survey, a temporary 
building was erected on the top of the tower of St. 
John's, and utilized as a special station. 

The names of several of the gentlemen who 
were prominently engaged in matters hereinbefore 
detailed occur in the list of the Churchwardens of 
Ley ton, viz. : — 

Mr. Wm. Dunster was Churchwarden, 1733-4 



11 



9» 



Samuel Bosanquet 




1742-3 


John Coope 




1816-17 


William Davis 




1818-IQ 


John Alfonso Doxat 




1821-2 


Benjamin Cotton 




1839-40 


Nicholas Charrington 




1844 


Edward Charrington 




1856-7 




CHAPTER VI. 

The Church of St. John Baptist. 
Alienations and Enlargement. 

Details to present date — Particulars of Gifts, Fittings, Bells, Clock, 
Organ, &c. — Lists of officiating Clergy and Churchwardens — 
Alterations of Frontages — Coronation Memorial Tree planting — 
New Vestry — Elliott Room — Charities and Bequests. 

JELL into the nineteenth century, the vil- 
lage saw scarcely any change. A 2s. 
coach went twice daily from the ** Green 
Man " to Aldgate ; there was a single 
letter-box in one of the shops, with two daily de- 
liveries ; and a carrier's cart ran once daily, returning 
the same day. This seems to exhaust the list of 
public means of communication until the coming of 
the Great Eastern Railway, in 1853, but even in 
1858 there were only eight trains per day each way. 
The High Road was still a thorough country road, 
and even until within the last few years it was ill- 
lighted and quite unpaved ; other roads scarcely ex- 
isted at all. But, slowly at first, a change began, a 
very gradual exodus took place of the old families 




i!ih:IMjEif^}it OF dt joHirs. 71 

mhibfrtin^ tHei mansions around — such as those of 
Mfesistrs. Cotton, Bdxton, Barclay, Dunster, Bosan- 
<juet, Davis, Harvey, Innes, Morgan, Charrington, 
Elliott,^ Clayton, Burness, Drake, Doxat, &c. 

Most pf the large houses were pulled down or 
converted to other uses, smaller houses, shops, &c., 
sprung up more and more rapidly, with an immensely 
increased population, showing the urgent necessity 
for much enlarged church accommodation — though 
unfortunately the loss of the old supporters of the 
church operations possessing ample means could not 
be fully compensated for by the new comers. 

Projects for the enlargement of St. John's were 
from time to time discussed even in 1873, and plans 
by S^arious architects (Messrs. Blomfield, Belcher, 
and bthers) were submitted, none appearing at all 
satisfactory ; also the collecting for and building of 
other churches in the district stood in the way of 
much progress ; but, in 1887, a sketch plan was sub- 
mitted by Mr. Hammock, which met with very 
general approval, and Mr. Home (architect) was 
requested to prepare a sketch plan and rough esti- 
mate based on that scheme. The estimated cost, 
combined with that for absolutely necessary restora- 
tions, was so high that little further progress was 
made until October, 1890, when a modified, reduced, 
and less costly plan was submitted by Mr. Hammock, 
based on ideas formulated by the Vicar and himself, 
and was unanimously adopted, and Mr. Ashbridge 
(succeeded by Mr. Adams) was appointed architect 
to carry out the scheme. 

Meanwhile, as a Pew Rent Trust Fund, insti- 
tuted soon after the church was built but found im- 
practicable, had long lain utterly dormant and useless, 
though frequently discussed, steps were taken in 1^ 



J 2 HISTORY OF LBY70NST0NB. 

Chancery, with a view to utilising it towards the cost 
of enlargement. However, it was only in February, 
1892, after great expense and trouble, that the 
many difficulties were overcome, and the application 
granted- A committee, of which D. J. Morgan, 
Esq., J. P., was chairman, Messrs. S. Harmer and 
F. Finch were treasurers, and Mr. W. G. Hammock 
secretary, was at once appointed to carry out the 
work, plans and ^specifications were ordered ; but, as 
the Committee's report states : — 

" It was not until March, 1892, that the plans 
were finally approved ; and only in April, 1893, were 
sufficient funds in hand to warrant signing the con- 
tract and proceeding with the work. This consisted 
of the building of a good chancel, superseding the 
original extremely small sacrarium, and affi^rding, in 
addition to the clergy stalls, ample accommodation 
for the whole of the choir (which, with the organ, 
previously occupied a very considerable portion of 
the bpdy of the church), a choir vestry, with a 
number of fittings and handsome glazed screen ; a 
capacious organ chamber and well arranged manuals, 
by which the organ and organist are kept clear of the 
body of the church ; greatly enlarged and improved 
arches at the east end of the church ; new cathedral 
glass windows ; entirely new arrangement of seating 
and new seats, giving about 140 additional free seats ; 
new wood block flooring ; fitting new stone pulpit in 
lieu of old wooden one ; additional ventilators ; new 
gas fittings and heating apparatus ; chancel fittings 
and curtains ; the entire re-decoration of the church, 
and minor necessary alterations and repairs. 

This was all most satisfactorily carried out by 
Mr. Scott, of Walthamstow, under the careful and 
able superintendence of the architect, Mr. P. H. 



NEW VEaTBT. y^ 

Adams, and the Church re-opened and additions 
consecrated by the Bishop of Colchester (Dr. Blom- 
field) on 30th September, 1893. 

It may here be mentioned that the additional 
chancel buildings are all carefully planned, so that 
at any future time a still further increase in the ac- 
commodation can easily be made, with scarcely any 
constructive disarrangement, by the building of a 
south transept." 

The total cost, exclusive of organ amounted to 
;^2,395 15s- 5d. The seating accommodation, exclu- 
sive of chancel, is about 630, and more than half are 
free and unappropriated. 

New Vestry. 

IN 1893, at the time of building the new chancel, 
the original very small vestry was to a certain 
extent enlarged, but its accommodation for parish 
meetings, weddings, &c., was still totally inadequate, 
and a variety of plans for improvements were from 
time to time produced and discussed. Complaints 
as to its extreme inconvenience and unsuitability be- 
coming more and more persistent, it was, in 1897, 
determined to take further steps in the matter. A 
committee was appointed, with Mr. Day as treasurer, 
and Mr. T. A. Morris, secretary, an appeal for funds 
was issued, and Mr. Adams, the architect who carried 
out the previous enlargement of the church, was re- 
quested to prepare estimates based upon one of the 
plans. It was found, however, that the cost would 
so greatly exceed expectations, that the plans were 
modified and considerably reduced ; and application 
for a faculty was authorized by a vestry meeting, 
15th October, 1900. The room is commodious, and 
well suited for its intended purposes, having separate 



74 HISTORY OF lEYTONSTONB. 

entrances from outside and from the original vestry, 
which was left untouched ; it was completed early in 
1902, at a cost of £2^^$ 14s, id. 

Gifts, Fittings, Ornaments, &c. 

TTbC 1D(Ilin2)OVO0* — The east windows were supplied 

^^ to the order of Mr. Cotton, in 1841, by Wailes, 
of Newcastle, and are early English in character 
though rather glaring in colour. The two side por- 
tions are adapted from windows in York Minster, as 
are also parts of the centre portion, and the foliage 
is adapted from an old window in a church near 
Canterbury. There are five panels in the centre por- 
tion relating to incidents in the life of St. John the 
Baptist : — 
Lower panel — St. John preaching in the wilderness. 

2nd ,, — Sending his disciples to the Saviour. 

3rd (centre) — Baptism of the Saviour in Jordan. 

4th panel — Before Herod and Bernice. 

5th „ — Conveying the Baptist's body for burial. 
The three side windows in the chancel were pre- 
sented in 1898, after the building of the new chancel, 
by Messrs. S. E. and R. Harmer, sons of the then 
churchwarden and members of the choir. They re- 
present respectively David, the Virgin Mary, and 
Group of Angels, and are all illustrative of praise. 
They are very elaborate and delicate, and were sup- 
plied by Powell Brothers, of Leeds. 

In November, 1854, a pair of memorial windows, 
illustrative of the Saviour's kind acts and the parable 
of the Good Samaritan, were plated on the south 
side of the church by parishioners and friends, in 
memory of Wm. Davis (to whom many referlences 
have pi*eviously herein been made). And in December, 
1863, similar memorial window^ vifferfe jplalc'ed by 



THE STONE PULPIT AND OTHER QTFT8. y^ 

parishioners and friends on the north side, in memory 
of Rev. Herbert Evans, nineteen years incumbent of 
Leytonstone, illustrative of the parables of the sower 
and the Good Shepherd. 

In the final report of the original Church Build- 
ing Committee, 6th Dec, 1834, the following are 
recorded as gifts, viz., the ground, bells, clock, organ, 
velvet hangings, hassocks, stove, gravel, turf, &c., but 
the foregoing particulars are all that are traceable as 
to names of donors, &c., to the original building, 
except that the wooden pulpit, reading desk and com- 
munion furniture, were presented by Mrs. Morrison at 
a cost of £t^. 

When the restoration and enlargement were 
carried out, a beautiful stone pulpit of white Caen 
stone, relieved with small pillars of Mansfield stone, 
which originally cost j^goo, designed by Sir A. Blom- 
field, for St. John's Church, Wilton Road, and found 
to be unsuitable for that church, was presented by 
the authorities there to St. John's, Leytonstone, and 
replaced the original wooden one, which was trans- 
ferred to St. Alban's, Leytonstone, and the reading 
desk to St. Augustine's. A new stone font was sub- 
scribed for by children, and placed in position in 
1893 ; it was afterwards carved and finished at the 
cost of Mr. Finch, and its ornamental oak cover was 
presented by the architect, Mr. Adams ; the carved 
oak lectern was presented by Mr. Nichols ; alms dish 
by Mr. Papworth ; cruets by Rev. H. Sergeant and 
Mr. Horner; chancel gas standards by Rev. H. 
Sergeant and former curates ; chancel kneeler by 
Mrs. Bettison, Sen. ; two altar vases by Mrs. Harmer; 
altar linen and alms bags by Mr. and Miss Finch ; 
a new flag-staff by Mr. Lister ; sun blinds, chancel 
curtains, lectern mat, bknners, prayer desk, &c., by 



76 



HISTORY OF LBYTONSTONB. 



Messrs. Fretwell, Day, Veale, Hammock, &c. ; and 
service books by Mrs. Burrows, Mrs. Hammock, and 
Mrs. Harmer. Shortly afterwards, a very handsome 
chancel railing was presented by Mr. S. P. Ashbridge, 
and the three side windows previously named, by 
Messrs. Harmer, Jun., and were dedicated by the 
Bishop of Colchester, at a special service held on 
1 2th February, 1898. 

ZtbC 3Bcll0* The six bells were cast by the 
very old-established firm of bellfounders, Mears, of 
Whitechapel, and were named after ladies of the 
Cotton and Davis families. They are as follows : — 

Cwts. qrs. 

Inscription on the 
Tenor : — 

" This belly with five 
others to form a peal^ was 
presented to the new Chapel 
of Leytanstone^ by William 
DaviSy Esq.y A.D. 1833." 
(Note.— The first churchwarden). 

They are the finest peal for miles around, and are 
in the care of a very efficient Society of Bellringers. 
They have just been re-hung, and the framework 
which carries them repaired and strengthened. 

A brass plate in the porch records that " In 
memory of Victoria, R. & I. a fully muffled peal of 
* surprise minor,' 5040 changes, was rung on the bells 
of the tower, on January 24th, 1901, in 3 hr. 7 min.; 
they were also rung for the memorial services." 

ZtbC ClOCft is a very excellent one by VuUiamy, 
a famous clockmaker of the period, honorary clock- 
maker to the king, and author of excellent articles 
on Horology, in Rees^ EncyclopcBdia— hut until recently 



Agnes - - 5 


3 I 


Phoebe - - 6 


6 


Sarah - - - 6 


3 13 


Eliza - - - 7 


I 10 


Dorothy Anne g 


3 


Dorothy - - I2 


3 23 


Total - 48 


2 25 



ILLUMINATION OF CLOCK DIALS. jj 

it had but one dial. It apparently, as well as the 
bells, was presented by Mr. Davis, at a total cost of 
over ;f8oo, and in December, 1899, Mr. T. F. Saun- 
derson defrayed the entire cost of fitting it to chime 
the quarters, in memory of his wife. 

In 1897, a general parish subscription was made 
(the Vicar and Councillor Chapman, J.P., being trea- 
surers), to fit three electrically illuminated dials, in 
commemoration of Queen Victoria's Jubilee Reign. 
On 15th Sept., 1897, the electric light was for the 
first time switched on to the dials by Lady Birt, in 
presence of a crowded assemblage of thousands of 
persons which more than filled the southern portion 
of the churchyard and for a time stopped the street 
traffic ; a short appropriate service, assisted by a 
numerous choir, being held in the space opposite the 
main porch. The light is switched on and ofi" auto- 
matically by a separate special clock, fitted by Mr. 
Webber, of Leytonstone, which is set weekly to suit 
the varying length of daylight, and the current is 
supplied gratis by the District Council as being a 
public benefit. 

ZtbC 0r0an4 The original organ was worked 
by barrels, and was placed in the gallery, some of 
the old barrels are still stored in the belfry. There 
is an account in 1852-3, of £16 i6s., for putting a 
new worm to the church organ, thoroughly cleaning 
and tuning the same, and supplying a new barrel 
containing eleven tunes. 

It had at first only two barrels with eleven tunes 
in each ; but there were eventually six, with a total 
of 66 tunes. The first organist was a gardener, in 
the employ of one of the lady pew-renters, his ideas 
of time were decidedly hazy, but his zeal was un- 
questionable ; that indeed so far outran discretion 



78 HISTOR Y OF LE YTONSTONE, 

that, it is said, he very frequently ground out the 
tune, and started on a second verse long before the 
congregation had succeded in struggling to the end 
of the first one. It continued in use for about 36 
years, when a new one with keys and a very few stops 
was supplied by Messrs. Gray and Davison. It was 
small, and was placed within the body of the church 
at the south-east corner. 

When the proposal for the enlargement of the 
church took shape, it was in such bad condition, and 
generally so unsuitable, that it was determined to 
provide a really good organ, worthy of the altered 
conditions. A strong committee was formed, and 
through the indefatigable exertions of the organist, 
Mr. E. C. Nunn (who became organist in March, 
1889), Messrs. Fretwell, Rich, Harmer, and their 
colleagues, who were unwearied in organizing musi- 
cal performances, collections, &c., a sum of ^^594 
was raised, and a beautiful new organ put in hand, 
so as to be ready to be put in place when the in- 
tended new chancel was completed. The building 
of the organ was entrusted to Messrs. Brindley & 
Foster, of Sheffield and London, who, although the 
funds then available did not suffice to carry out all 
that was contemplated, made it completely service- 
able to fulfil usual requirements, and so constructed 
it that when funds were available the original idea 
could easily be carried out in its entirety. This has 
since been done, the whole of the additional amount 
required having, through the strenuous exertions of 
the organ committee and the organist, Mr. E. C. 
Nunn, been at last raised ; and the instrument is now 
universally considered an exceptionally fine one. Its 
total cost, from first to last, was ^^837 6s. 4d. , in- 
cluding £y 1 8s. I id. for its enclosure in the choir 
vestry. 



HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE. 



79 



The ojrg^n js of t}iree manuals and pedals, and 
34 stops, the whole of which, except the manuals and 
their connections, are placed in an organ loft built 
for their reception over the choir vestry when the new 
chancel was erected, and the manuals are in a small 
console within the choir vestry, so arranged that the 
organist faces eastward, and is in close touch with 
choir and chancel, all being at the same time entirely 
clear of the body of the church. 

It was opened in its unfinished state on 4th 
January, 1894, and was completed by adding the 
stops printed in italics^ and re-opened on November 
23rd, 1902. The following is the specification : — 



Great Organ (8 stops) 
Open Diapason 
Dulciana - - - 
Claribel - 
Principal - 
Lieblich Flote - 
Harmonic Piccolo 
Dulcet Twelfth - 
Trumpet - 

Swell Organ (10 stops). 
Lieblich Bourdon 
Violin Diapason 
Keraulophon 
Rohr Gedact 
Unda Maris 
Harmonic Flute 
Dulcet Mixture - 
Oboe 

Cornopean 
Clarinet - - 

Choir Organ (5 stops). 
Dulciana - - - 8 ft. 
Claribel - - - 8 „ 
Lieblich Ftote - - 4 « 
Harmonic Piccolo - 2 „ 
Clarinet - - - 8 « 



8 ft. 

8 „ 

8 „ 

4 >> 

4 » 

2 „ 

2I „ 

8 „ 



16 ft. 

- 8 „ 

- 8 „ 

- 8 „ 

- 8 „ 

- 4 » 
ranks. 

- 8 ft. 

- 8 „ 

- 8 „ 



16 ft. 
16 „ 

16 „ 

8 „ 



Pedal Organ (4 stops). 
Open Diapason 
Bourdon - - - 
Echo Bourdon (fi-om 

Sw.) - 
Bass Flute 

Couplers (7). 
Swell to-Grreat. 
Swell'tO'Choir. 
Swell Octave. 
Swell Sui-octave. 
Grreat-to-Pedals. 
Swell-to-Pedals. 
Choir-tO'Pedals. 

Accessories. 

Two composition Pedals-to- 
Great ; two to Swell. 

Great - to - Pedal reversing 
piston. 

Tremulant-tO'Swell. 

Balanced Swell Pedal. 
Tubular pneumatic action 
throughout. 



8o 

Alterations of Frontages. 

ABOUT the middle of 1897, 'he Leyton District 
Council, with a view to meeting the enormously 
increased traffic, entered into negotiations as to the 
possibility of widening and rounding off the south- 
eastern end of Church Lane, by throwing back the 
railings of the churchyard where no interments had 
taken place. After a considerable time, and much 
discussion, the carrying out of the proposition, at an 
estimated cost of ^^450 for works and a payment of 
;^6oo for the required strip of land, was approved by 
the Highways and Lighting Committee of the Coun- 
cil, and by an unanimous vote of a vestry meeting, 
held in the vestry on 17th October, 1898. Applica- 
tion was then made for the necessary faculty, which, 
however, the Chancellor of the Diocese considered 
he had no power to grant. This brought matters 
somewhat to a standstill ; but, after much further 
discussion and negotiation, the District Council, in 
December, 1899, gave notice of their intention to 
apply to the Local Government Board, for compul- 
sory powers. A Government enquiry was held at 
the Town Hall, but the Chancellor's scruples again 
brought matters for a time to a deadlock. At last, 
however, all difficulties were overcome without the 
exercise of compulsory powers, the necessary faculty 
was granted, and in April, 1902, the work of altering 
the frontage was commenced. 

The corner at the main entrance gates was set 
back 8 feet, and the set back of frontage was then 
tapered off to nothing along the side of Church 
Lane, and to 4 feet 6 inches along High Road to the 
corner of the churchyard. New foundations for the 
railings were built somewhat higher than the old 
ones, and the original railings were fixed upon them. 



MmiOniAL TRSMB. 8 1 

At the request of the District Council, part 
of the old Fire-engine Station, which it was at first 
intended to entirely clear away, was allowed to re- 
main, and was by them adapted to contain their 
electrical transformer, they agreeing to pay a nominal 
rent for it, and to remove it altogether if called upon 
to do so. 

Coronation Memorial Tree Planting. 

THE alterations of churchyard frontage involved, 
greatly to the regret of many, the removal of 
some old elms which bordered Church Lane. They 
had, however, been for some time in a very doubtful 
condition, large branches had broken off, lopping, 
and even total removal of some, had once or twice 
previously been necessary, and when the remainder 
were removed for the alterations, it was found that 
they were much more seriously decayed at the roots 
than was expected, and that their removal probably 
averted serious accidents. 

In their stead, however, in the Coronation year 
of King Edward VII. and Queen Alexandra, 43 
memorial trees were subscribed for and planted by 
the clergy, churchwardens, sidesmen and other church 
officials and friends. One, representing the King, 
being planted at the S.W. side of the main gates by 
D. J. Morgan, Esq., M.P., a native of Leytonstone 
and its Parliamentary representative, and that on 
the S.E. side by Mrs. Morgan, representing the 
Queen ; the bther trees were planted simultaneously 
by the donors or their representatives along the east- 
ern and southern frontages of the churchyard, and 
across the western end of the church, a short out- 
door service being meanwhile held, accompanied by 
the singing of the National Anthem and hymns. 

G 



82 HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE. 

Expenditure of Frontage Purchase 
Money. 

IN the granting of the faculty authorizing the altera- 
tion of the frontages, the building of a new 
vestry, &c., a few stipulations were put forward 
rightly restricting the expenditure of the ;^6oo pur- 
chase money in a general way entirely upon the 
church and its belongings and the buildings apper- 
taining to it; and, in accordance therewith, payments 
were made towards the cost of the new vestry, then 
nearly completed, part towards the debt on the new 
vicarage and that on the organ, repairs of stonework 
of tower and other parts of the church, new fittings 
and bearings for bells, and repairs of timber framing 
carrying the bells, and re-hanging them, repairing 
damages in the porch caused by the fall of the clock 
weight and by damp, and it was found that sufficient 
was in hand to complete interior repairs, which for 
lack of funds could only be somewhat imperfectly 
done at the time of the church restoration in 1893. 
The ceilings were therefore again whitewashed, walls 
painted where previously only coloured, all painted 
work re-painted inside and out, the chancel walls 
cleaned, and the lower portion elaborately decorated 
and gilded, chancel railings also re-painted and 
gilded, incandescent lights, with special arrange- 
ments for varying the light fitted throughout the 
body of the church, some new windows, re-placing 
very defective ones, especially at the west end, and a 
number of minor improvements, and by the exercise 
of strict economy all the above-named expenditure 
was provided for out of the fund. 



CHANGES OF DIOCHSJS. 83 

The Elliott Room. 

THE old rooms in which the Church services were 
originally held, and which, after the building of 
St. John's were long utilized as schools and for other 
parish purposes, having become very dilapidated, and 
other difficulties having arisen as to tenure, Mrs. 
Elliott, an old inhabitant, munificiently offered at 
the suggestion of the vicar, to build new rooms in 
another part of the parish, and devote them to Sun- 
day school and other parish uses, under the trustee- 
ship of the vicar and churchwardens, on condition 
that they were not used for political purposes. The 
offer was gladly accepted ; Mr. Home was appointed 
architect, and the first stone was laid after a short 
out-door service, on 15th September, 1885, by Miss 
Moysey, the grand-daughter of the donor, who was 
also present though extremely feeble, the building 
being named after the donor. A soup kitchen, &c., 
have since been added. The main room accomo- 
dates about 300. 

The District, 

at the time of the building of St. John's, was in 
the diocese of London, but in consequence of the 
enormously increased population it was transferred 
to the Diocese of Rochester, and separated from 
that of London. When the new diocese of St. 
Albans was formed it became part of that diocese, 
after which the suffragan Bishopric of Colchester was 
formed, and finally that of Barking in 1901, to nieet 
the still increasing wants of the immense population. 



G 2 



84 HISTORY OP LBYTONSTONE. 

CurateS'ifi'Charge and Vicars of 
St. Johns. 

THE early record is by no means clear. A 
Mr- Carter appears to have officiated in the 
original chapel in 1750, also Rev. Wm. Totton in 
1754, and Rev. John Whalley in 1797, and when 
it was enlarged Rev. Dr. Sampson administered 
the sacrament therein in 1820 to 35 communicants. 

1832. — ^At the time of the la3ring of the first stone 
of St. John's, Rev. E. C. Birch is named as curate 
of Le3rtonstone, and his name occurs on the Build- 
ing Committee, but it would appear doubtful 
whether for some time there was any one person 
distinctly appointed to the church, it was probably 
served to a certain extent by the clergy of Leyton 
generally. 

1833-5. — Rev. Wm. Pitt Wigram's name most fre- 
quently occurs ; Rev. C.J. Laprimaudaye, nephew 
of the Vicar of Leyton, 1834-7 also in 1841-4 ; 
and in 1837 the names of Simpson and Dickens 
also occur. 

1835-g. — Rev. Thos. Hubbard was apparently ap. 
pointed curate-in-charge during this time. 

1839-40. — Rev. N. B. Herring. 

1841-4. — Rev. John Pardoe. 

1844-63. — Rev. Herbert Evans (signed as "Perpetual 
Curate," September, 1854). He was probably the 
first vicar when a separate parish was assigned. 

1864-70. — Rev. W. H. Vernon. 

1870-74. — Rev. H. Waller, who preceded Mr. Betti- 
son as vicar, was a companion of Dr. Livingstone 
in his African exploration, and was visited at Ley- 



PRSaENT VICAR OF 8T, J0HN*8, g^ 

tonstone by two of Dr. Livingstone's personal 
native attendants, Tumah and Shumah, much to 
the astonishment and delight of the village boys. 

1874 to present date. — Rev. W. J. Bettison: — 

The Rev. W. J. Bettison, the present Vicar, 
having now held that office during a term not very 
far short of half the whole existence of Leytonstone 
as a separate ecclesiastical parish, cannot rightly 
be passed over without a short special record. He 
was educated at King's School, Canterbury, where 
he obtained an exhibition as Parker's Scholar, he 
afterwards went to Corpus Christi College, Cam- 
bridge, and, after taking his degree, he acted as 
tutor for two years to the present Duke of Sijitherland. 
He was ordained a deacon in 1864, ^^cl a piiest 
in the following year. His first curacy was at Hal- 
stead, Essex, and afterwards he went to Newbury 
and Ipswich. Four years after ordination he received 
his first living, that of Harwich, which he retained 
four years, and left to come to Leytonstone in 1874. 
He has taken a prominent part in the establishment 
of the daughter churches herein mentioned, and is 
the author of many works, &c., principally published 
by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge ; 
they are much admired and widely circulated. In 
all the various undertakings for the good^ of the 
parish during his long incumbency, much has been 
due to his initiative and sustained efforts. On coming 
to Leytonstone, he brought his young and newly 
married bride, Margaret, the daughter of Dr. Arnot, 
R.N. She was a native of Harwich, and was for 
25 years his faithful helpmeet, and passed away at 
the age of 45 years, in October, 1899. They had 
four daughters and five sons, two of whom are 
clergymen. 



86 



HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONB, 

9 



Churchwardens of St. John Baptist 
from commencement. 



1833 Wm. Davis; Wm. Cotton 

4 Do. Do. 

5 Do. N. Charrington 

6 Do. J. Chadsey 

7 Do. Golding 

8 Do. J. Sims 

9 Do. J. Maskell 
1840 Do. B. Cotton 

1 Do. — Delacour 

2 Do. R. Payze 

3 Do. T, Graig 

4 Do. D. T. Morgan 

5 Do. J. Whittingham 

6 Do. S. Mackenzie 

7 Do. J. Wheen 
1848 Wm. Davis; C. Tebbut. 

9 Do. J. Drake 
1850 Do. — Bartrum 

1 Do. C. Pennyfeather 

2 Do. H. M. Harvey 

3 Do. Do. 

4 Do. Do. 

5 H. Harvey ; T. F, Buxton 

6 Do. A. Doxat 
D. Cobbett; T. Womersley 

Do. Do. 

Do. J. T. T. Dipnall 

Do. 
Jno. Adams 

Do. 



Do. 
Do. 
Do. 



7 
8 

9 
i860 

I 

2 
1863 D. Cobbett; Jno. Adams 

4 W. Cotton ; F. Telfer 

5 T. F. Buxton ; T. Knight 

6 Jas. Burness ; L. Taylor 

7 Do. — Collins 

8 J. Dicker; P. Gold 



1869 J. Dicker; W. D. Collins 



1870 

I 
2 
3 
4 

5 
6 

7 
8 

9 
1880 

I 



Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 



Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 



W. D. Collins ; Wrightson 
Do. Do. 

Do. — Barford 

Do. Do. 

Do. Do. 

Do. Do. 

2 — Barford; W. H. Allaway 

3 Do. Do. 
1884 Lowman; W. H. Allaway 



5 
6 

7 
8 

9 
1890 

I 
2 

3 

4 
5 



Do. 
Allaway ; 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 



Do. 
Cooper 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
S. Harmer 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 



6 W. G. Hammock ; R.Nichols 



7 
8 

9 
1900 

I 
2 



Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 



Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 
Do. 



3 W. G. Parker; W.HoUings 

4 Do. Do. 



CHARITIE8 AND BEQUESTS, gj 

Some Charities and Bequests to the 

Parish of Ley ton in which Leytonstone 

has a beneficial interest. 

THE formation of Leytonstone into a District 
Parish necessitated, in pursuance of the Church 
Building Act, an apportionment of charities of 
the old Parish of Leyton, between the district parish 
of Leytonstone and the other part of the Parish of 
Leyton remaining attached to the Parish Church. 
It would appear that for a considerable time this 
was not very systematically carried out, but early in 
1854, energetic steps were taken to put the matter 
on a satisfactory basis. Several vestry meetings, 
both of the old and new parishes entered exhaustively 
into the question, the respective churchwardens 
closely investigated all the points connected with 
it, and a definite apportionment was arrived at and 
approved for the following bequests and charities : — 

The Bread Fund, originated in 1704: 

Annual Leytonslone 

Income. Apportionmeut. 

£ s, d. £ s. d. 

16 00 Hicks* Charities (about 3 acres at 
Harrow Green, of land in occupa- 
tion of John Wheen [Smallgains) 7 i 2 
I o o Archer's (lands at Coopersale nr. 

Epping) yearly rent-charge o 810 

39 o o Holbrook's (Marsh Street, Wal- 

thamstow) 1742 

100 Rampston's (Dunmow and LittU 

CatUfield) o 8 10 

16 10 o £ao Consols 7 5 4 

Eight Almshouses (Smith's Charity with 



88 BI8T0BT OF LMTT0N8T0NB. 

added bequests), instituted about the middle of the 
seventeenth century, rebuilt in 1886, now six houses: 

The 2nd and Srd houses 
from the west end of the 
row are apportioned to 
Leytonstone under the 
nomination of the minis- 
ter and churchwardens ; 
the first house, next the 
Church, alternate nomina- 
tion of Leyton and Ley- 
tonstone, but this has 
sometimes been modified 
to suit circumstances. 



;£2oo Consols for repair of Almshouses. 

Osier's Charity (afterwards National) S^hQiOls, 
originated in 1697, rebuilt in 1846 on the original 
site, cost ;^i,200. Seven presentations from Leyton 
and seven from Walthamstow, of which two present- 
ations were assigned to Leytonstone : 
£ s. d. 

800 Osier's Charity, annual rent 
of a field in occupation of 
Andrews. 
12 o o Ditto Rent-charge on pre- 
mises in occupation of 
Pamplin. 
600 ;£2oo Consols, gift of the late 
— Bosanquet. 



£ 
20 

12 

6 


s. 






d. 





Hughes' Farm. 
Bovill's Uplands. 
House, Dover Street, 


12 


12 


3 


Piccadilly. 
;^30o & ;£i20 9s. 8d. 
Consols. 


6 


10 





;^2oo 3|^/o Annuities. 


9 








£zoo 3 ^/^ Reduced 
Annuities. 


20 








^£250 Bank Stock. 


86 


2 


3 


■ 



Towards 

schoolmaster's 

salary. 



There having been at one time some doubt as 
to the proper application of jf 58, rent of six cottages 
in the Parish of Leyton, leased to Mr. Johnson, it 
had been handed to the overseers to apply towards 
poor rates, but in 1856 it was resolved by both the 
vestries of Leyton and Leytonstone that it should be 



CHARITIES AND BBQUE818. 89 

applied as endowment of the National Schools in 
the same proportion as in the other charities. 

When other churches were built a further modi- 
fication and re-apportionment were made, and the 
present apportionment is, Leyton Parish Church, | ; 
St, John's, Leytonstone, \\ Holy Trinity, J; All 
Saints, J. 

Other gifts and bequests seem mainly to relate 
to the old parish and need not here be particularized, 
being apparently unimportant small items, either 
merged in the foregoing or paid over and finally 
disposed of. 

Respecting the Dover Street bequest in 1553, 
the Manor of Low Hall, Walthamstow, was granted 
to Thomas Argall ; his heiress married John Green, 
of Dover Street (jeweller to William HI), and it was 
purchased in 1741 by Mr. Bosanquet, carrying the 
rent-charge. 

The rent-charge on Coopersale, near Epping, was 
bequeathed in 1584 by Henry Archer. — {See page 27)- 




CHAPTER VII. 

Leytonstone Daughter Churches 
and other Places of Worship. 

Leytonstone daughter Churches — Nonconformist places of worship — 
Mission Halls, etc. — also some of the various societies — Board 
Schools, etc. 

SHORT statement will now be appropriate 
as to the Districts with their Churches 
which have been wholly or in part ap- 
portioned out of the district originally 
assigned to St. John's, in 1845. 

l3oli? ttriniti?, fcarrow (Brcen.— Through the 

initiative of Rev. W. ]• Bettison, Vicar of Leyton- 
stone, and Rev. G. S. Fitzgerald, Rector of Wanstead, 
in 1874, an iron temporary church was erected in the 
ftarrow Green district, and Rev. H. F. Battiscombe 
appointed as mission clergyman. Subscriptions for 
building a permanent church were set on foot, a com- 
mittee, of which Rev. W. J. Bettison was chairman, 
and Messrs. E. Absolom, Masterman, and D. T. 
Morgan, trustees were formed, and a fine church was 
built (consecrated by Dr. Claughton, Bishop of St. 
Alban's, on gth July, 1878, dedicated to the Holy 
Trinity), and portions of Leyton, Leytonstone and 



r 



UJ 

r 
o 

< 
a 

a: 

z 
o 

t/3 
Z 

o 

> 




I 





8T. ANDREW* 8. g, 

Wanstead, were assigned to form a district appertain- 
ing to it. A vicarage and large parish room with 
two class rooms were also built. The cost of the 
church (about ^7,500) and that of the vicarage 
{£ifioQ) was mainly defrayed through the untiring 
exertions of Mr, E. Absolom, and a benefaction of 
^3,000 contributed through him; and the parish room 
and class rooms costing about ;f2,5oo, were the gift 
of Mr. D. T. Morgan, who very greatly interested him- 
self in the work. The site was given by the Rev. 
TuUy Cornthwaite. Its constitution as a separate 
parish was made by order in council in 1879, and an 
endowment of ^"300 per annum was secured to the 
living, there are 800 sittings all free and unappro- 
piated. The handsome oak screen was erected in 
memory of Mr. D. T. Morgan, and the communion 
plate was given in memory of Mr. E, Absolom. The 
present incumbent is Rev, C. H. Rogers. 

Two iron mission churches have since been 
erected in connection with Holy Trinity, St. Alban's, 
in Leslie Road, having about 500 sittings, and St. 
Luke's, Temple Mills, with 300 sittings. 

St Hnl)rew'0.— A still further increase of church 
accommodation becoming more and more urgently 
necessary to meet the marvellously rapid growth of 
population, various proposals for the enlargement of 
St. John's, were brought forward from time to time, 
from 1873 downwards, but as none of them were at 
all satisfactory. Sir A. Blomfield, the eminent church 
architect who had been consulted, strongly advocated 
the temporary relinquishment of the idea of enlarg- 
ing St. John's and the immediate building of an 
entirely new church in another part of the district. 
He therefore submitted plans for a large new church, 
and while further steps were being taken, services 



gz HISTOR Y OF LE YTONSTONE, 

commencing in 1880, were conducted by the clergy 
of St. John's in an iron building placed in the pro- 
posed new district. A site on the Walwood estate 
and jf 1,500 were given by the Cotton family, jfi,5oo 
by the Bishop of St. Alban^s Fund, which also for 
some years found in part the stipend of the clergy- 
man in charge, Rev. W. Manning, to whom the 
charge was early offered by the Vicar of St. John's, and 
who when the church was built became its vicar. The 
gradual accumulation of further funds, warranted 
at last the commencement of the permanent church, 
and the memorial stone of St. Andrew's (the new 
church) was laid by H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught, 
on 1 8th June, 1886, by which time the congregation 
and their friends had collected an additional j£'4,ooo. 
Funds, however, only sufficed for the time to build the 
first portion, consisting of the sanctuary, chancel and 
three bays of the nave, the end then being tem- 
porarily enclosed by a light wall, allowing for future 
completion. This portion was consecrated by 
Bishop Claughton in 1887, ^^^ opened for service. 
The congregation having rapidly grown, further 
strenuous efforts were made to meet the additional 
amount of the contract (;f2,5oo) and finally the 
remaining portion was completed and consecrated 
in 1891. There is no endowment and no vicarage. 
The average congregation numbers 1,000, and all the 
seats are unappropiated. It was constituted a separ- 
ate parish by order in council, 29 December, 1887. 

St flDaroarCtfi*— While the building of St. 
Andrew's was in progress, still further steps to meet 
the needs of the immensely increased population on 
the eastern sid^ of the district were taken. The 
clergy of St. John's commenced to hold services in a 
temporary iron church in Lansdowne Road, and after 



8T. AU€^U8TINXr8. 93 

Rev. B. Waud, Rev. Edward Sant was appointed to 
the charge of it, and long carried on the service 
there. Eventually a site for a permanent church was 
found in Woodhouse Road, in the adjoining parish 
but in the same district, the foundation stone of St. 
Margaret's was laid by the Marchioness of Salisbury 
on 19th March, i892,and the church was consecrated 
by the Bishop of St. Alban's on 28th January, 1893. 
It has accomodation for 813, which will shortly be 
increased to 856, all free ; there is an endowment of 
jf26i. The present vicar is Rev. M. A. Bere. 

St* HUdU0tinC'6« — Still further church accomo- 
dation, especially in the poorer part of the parish 
being urgently needed, open-air services having for a 
considerable time been held in that district by the 
clergy of St. John's, steps were taken in 1886 to 
obtain funds for the erection of a permanent building, 
the small mission church of St. Augustine's was built 
in Mayville Road, and in August, 1889, was dedicated 
and service conducted therein by curates-in-charge 
in connection with St. John's. The successive clergy 
were Rev. F. W. Thomas, Rev. B. Hobart Hamp- 
den and Rev. P. M. Bayne (now Rector of Little 
Ilford). It greatly prospered, and the Rev. W. 
Walker, who followed and has for years had charge 
of the mission, finally succeeded by indefatigable 
exertions in obtaining sufficient funds to build a 
much larger permanent church adjoining, accomo- 
dating 480 worshippers, which was dedicated by the 
Bishop of Barking, on 23 January, 1902, the original 
mission church, built in 1889, then becoming utilised 
as a parish hall. All the seats are free and unappro- 
priated. 

St Columba'S, with 800 seats, all free, opened 
March, 1888. 



94 HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE. 

St. (TatberinC'e, with 550 seats, half of which 
are free, and several other churches have been built 
in contiguous districts within the last few years, but 
not being in the District Parish originally allotted to 
St. John's, it is not the present purpose further to 
refer to them, and the various other Leytonstone 
places of worship of our nonconformist fellow 
parishioners, being fully noted in other recent books, 
it is only thought necessary simply to record them 
here. 

TKIlcelC^an, High Road, built to seat 1040, at a 
cost of about ;^g,ooo, was commenced by services in 
the drawing room at " Shrublands," about 1874, then 
in an iron building near its present site, and was 
finally enlarged and re-opened, July, 1902. 

ConoreoatiOnal, High Road, built in 1878, at 
a cost of about ^f 10,000, enlarged in 1888, seating ac- 
commodation about 1,000. Rev. G. H. Sandwell, 
minister. 

Baptist, Fairlop Road, built in 1877, Rev. F. 
C. Hughes, minister. 

Presbyterian, Hainault Road, built in 1893, 
at a cost of ;^5,ooo. Service was held in a tempo- 
rary building, on the Fillebrook Estate, for some 
years before the permanent building was erected. 
Rev. W. Kidd, Pastor. 

Societij Of f rien^0, Bush wood. 

primitive fll^etb0^iSt, Colworth Road, built 
in 1902. Pastor, Rev. Clark Hallam. 

fIDigSiOn 1>all, Aylmer Road, built in 1885, for 
the London City Mission. Resident Missionary, Mr. 
James Mercer. 

Central flDiaSiOn 1>all, Ferndale Road, con- 
ducted by Messrs. Borton, Bros., built in 1901. 



J 



BBNO VOLENT SOCIETl . ^g 

OUClCOmC HDIeeton 1>all, Catthall Road, un- 
denominational. Mr. H. E. Lester, President. 

SalVatton Hrmi? liallt Southwell Grove Road, 
opened in 1902. 

flDi66ion ftall, Montague Road, built in 1888. 
also several others of less importance have recently 
been built. 

The National Schools, conducted in what 
is now the Assembly Rooms, were superseded by 

(Cbc Xci^tonstonc »oart) Scbools — 

Accomodation. 
Opened. Boys. Girls. Infants. Total. 

Kirkdale Road 17 April, 1876 .. 421 359 307 1,087 

Harrow Green 14 May, 1877 ... 360 360 430 1,150 

Mayville Road 11 Nov., 1889 ... 420 420 522 1,362 

Goodall Road 12 Feb., 1900 ... 480 480 608 1,568 

Connaught Road I Oct., 1900 . Mixed 340 

(temporary) 

Davis' Lane 28 Oct., 190 1 ... 490 480 524 i,494 

Norlington Road 500 '480 532 1,512 

(Now Building) 

Local Banks.-** London and Provincial Branch 
Bank " is in the handsome building at the corner of 
Kirkdale Road, and the '* London, City and Mid- 
land " branch, nearly opposite Church Lane. 

The Local Newspapers are **The Express and 
Independent," published on Friday, and *'The 
Eastern Mercury," published on Tuesday, office in 
the High Street, at the corner of Church Lane. 

There are many very useful societies doing ex- 
cellent work in the district in various ways. The 
Leytonstone Benevolent Society, whose offices are 
in the Kirkdale Road Board Schools (secretaries — 
Mr. J. T. EUacott and Rev. W. Walker) is prominent 
among them, and eminently successful. It was in- 
stituted about eleven years ago. 



g6 BISTORT or LMTTOmTONJB. 

The LEYTONSToi^E Orchestral SooIety. — 
Founded 1887. Hon. Cohductor, Mr. Cuthbert 
Nunn, A.R.A.M., F.R.C.O. ; Treasurer, Mr. Robert 
Leng. The rehearsals are held weekly during the 
season in the Elliott Rooms, and periodical sub- 
scription concerts are given, generally at Ley ton 
Town Hall. 

The Leytonstone Choral Society. — Founded 
1882, for the study of unaccompanied part-singing. 
Conductor, Mr. J. W. UUyett. It obtained the first 
prize at the Stratford Musical Festivals of 1 884- 1893- 
1896 and 1899. The rehearsals are held in the 
Elliott Rooms, every Monday evening, at 8 o'fcldck 
during the season, commencing in October. Concerts 
are periodically given, honorary members being en- 
titled to three tickets for each concert. Subscription 
for either vocal or honorary members, 5/-. 

A few more Old Names. 

Mrs. Emerson, who is still a resident in Leyton- 
stone, and whose son-in-law, Mr. Parker, is now 
churchwarden, came as teacher in the village national 
school, in October, 1842, and 18 months, afterwards 
married Mr. Emerson, who had then been master 
there for seven years, and in 1863 the vicar appointed 
him his clerk. Both Mr. and Mrs. Emerson had 
much to do with parochial work connected with St. 
John's throughout their long term of residence, dur- 
ing part of which time they lived at Caxton House, 
near the schools. On their retirement from the 
school work they were succeeded by Mr. Putman, 
who carried on the work until the establishment of 
the Board schools in Kirkdale Road superseded the 
old schools. 



OLD NAMES. 97 

Mfss Uffindell, now very feeble, has kept the 
little old fashioned fancy and stationery shop oppo- 
site St. John's Church, during more than half her 
long life, now approaching 80 years, and has always 
done much to help most usefully in matters of 
local interest. Her funny little shop, almost the 
last of the early ones remaining, was long the only 
one of its kind in the village, and it is not long since 
Judge Cotton called upon her, and laughed over the 
time when he, as a boy, used to patronize her penny 
dip basket. 

Mr. Fuller, probably the oldest inhabitant, and 
who remembers the building of St. John's, has 
resided in the parish all his life, and still carries on 
the business of builder and ironmonger in the High 
Street, he was, with A. Markby's grandfather, the 
first to take sittings in the church after the im- 
portant subscribers had selected theirs. 

Alfred Markby, the present verger of St. John's, 
is the descendant of a family who, with varying for- 
tunes, have been inhabitants of Leytonstone for over 
200 years ; his father was verger and beadle for many 
years, and at his death his son was installed in his 
place in May, 1889. He has never slept out of the 
parish. His great grandfather was High Constable 
of the Hundred of Beacontree about a century ago, 
as shown by the notice as to Highwaymen, &c., 
already quoted {see page 48). 

Mr. William Brown, a former sidesman at St. 
John's, had an exciting experience during one of the 
floods which, before the improved drainage, frequently 
occurred in the Fillebrook Valley, Leytonstone. On 
a Sunday in June, 1878, a terrific storm suddenly 
caused a flooding, which in many houses rose to about 
five feet ; carpets, furniture, Sunday dinners, &c.. 



98 HISTORY OF LEYTONSTONE. 

had to be carried up into bedrooms ; 50 feet of a 
substantial wall, part of the roadway, fences, &c., 
were all washed away in view of hundreds of spec- 
tators. Mr. Brown, seeing three women in a cottage 
in danger, standing on chairs placed on a bed, all 
afloat, took ofiF his coat, waistcoat and boots, waded 
in up to his shoulders, pulled them over the top of 
the window, and carried them, one by one, into 
safety, though he only stopped one from clutching 
his hair, by a threat of throwing her off, and had 
firmly to decline carrying the luggage of another ; 
he was then so exhausted that he had to be carried 
home. 



The information contained in the foregoing 
might be greatly amplified, but the aim in compiling 
it has, throughout, been to present it in such a con- 
cise, yet fairly full form as would be generally 
interesting without becoming tedious; it is hoped 
that this little work, will, in a measure, accomplish 
that aim, and suffice for most purposes. 



THE END 



99 



Note as to Illustrations. 

THE portraits, St. Andrew's Church, and old 
*' Red Lion," are from photographs by Mr. 
Webber, as are also the reproduction of the old en- 
graving of St. John's, lent by Mr. Markby ; '* Green 
Man " from an old picture lent by Mr. George Wil- 
son, and old Royal Lodge from a photograph lent by 
Miss Clayton. Holy Trinity Church is from a photo- 
graph in the possession of Mrs. Rogers, and taken 
by her nephew ; St. Augustine's from a photograph 
lent by Rev. W. Walker ; St. Margaret's, and the 
exterior and interior of St. John's, are from photo- 
graphs kindly taken specially for the book by Mr. 
Tester. The woodcuts are from blocks kindly lent 
by Mr. Moon, as is also the ancient parchment deed. 




3 2044 017 975 632 



The borrower must return this item on or before 
the last date stamped below. If another user 
places a recall for this item, the borrower will 
be notified of the need for an earlier return. 

Non-receipt of overdue notices does not exempt 
the borrower from overdue fines. 



Harvard College Widener Library 
Cambridge, MA 02138 617-495-2413 




Please handle with care. 

Thank you for helping to preserve 
library collections at Harvard